With the upcoming election fast approaching, I believe it is important for students to understand just how imperative it is and how every single vote counts. With women’s rights on the chopping block due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it is imperative to know which candidates will preserve these rights and which are working to continue to strip them away from us.

As a generation who has experienced substantial change and threats to our basic rights, this election is one that can impact not only our future, but the future of our children and grandchildren to come. Listed below are the candidates that I believe will represent women in a way that will ensure that they have a choice when it comes to their reproductive decisions.

Senate: Tim Ryan

Running for Senate on Nov. 8 are Tim Ryan (Democratic nominee) and JD Vance (Republican nominee). Tim Ryan would be the logical and correct choice as our Ohio representative in the Senate.

Tim Ryan has publicly expressed his opinion about abortion and women’s rights and explains how, “While there are people of good conscience on both sides of this argument, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: the heavy hand of government must not make this decision for women and families.”

During his time in Congress, Tim Ryan has voted on the Right to Contraception Act that would help protect women’s access to birth control by the federal government as well as made many statements condemning the 20 week abortion ban that the House has passed.

JD Vance on the other hand explicitly states that he is “100 percent pro-life, and believes that abortion has turned our society into a place where we see children as an inconvenience to be thrown away rather than a blessing to be nurtured.”

I believe that unlike JD Vance, Tim Ryan would be an advocate for women in Ohio who are fearful for their rights due to his past opinions on laws and goals to provide access to safe abortions and fair healthcare. Tim Ryan would be a better choice all around for our next Senator.

House of Representatives: Matt Kilboy

The race for the next representative for Ohio’s fourteenth Congressional district is between Matt Kilboy (Democratic nominee) and David Joyce (Republican nominee).

David Joyce is a strong believer in state’s rights and that the states and representatives should be the ones who decide on women’s abortion and reproductive rights. Not the woman herself.

If it isn’t obvious already, I believe that Matt Kilboy should be the next representative for our congressional district. Kilboy has expressed his belief in “my body, my choice” and his hopes to expand contraceptive and healthcare access all around Ohio. With Kilboy as our representative, I believe that access to contraceptives and safe, affordable healthcare will be provided and women’s rights would be in safe hands.

Governor: Nan Whaley

Running against current governor Mike Dewine in the Nov. 8 election, are politicians Nan Whaley and candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Cheryl Stephens. Nan Whaley has endorsed several pro-choice organizations such as the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, EMILY’s list, and the Ohio Democratic Women’s Legislation Caucus. As governor, Nan Whaley has made it clear that she plans to veto anti-abortion legislation and appoint a pro-choice director of the Ohio Department of Public Health.

On the other hand, Mike Dewine has already signed anti-abortion bills and with the rights of women in his hands, there is a great chance that women would lose their opportunity to make their own decisions about their body and reproduction.

Because of actions that Dewine has already taken to explicitly take away our right to choose, I believe that voting for Nan Whaley would be the right choice for women in Ohio who still want the right to choose what they want to do with their own body.

Cuyahoga County Executive: Chris Ronayne

Running for Cuyahoga County Executive is Chris Ronayne (Democratic nominee) and Lee Weingart (Republican nominee). Ronayne has expressed his plans to assemble a health action team for women with medical professionals, reproductive health experts and those with lived experiences of abortion.

When asked in a press release about his opinion on new abortion laws and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Ronayne said, “The 6-week abortion ban will prevent many of our residents from accessing the medical care they need and will disproportionally impact poor and minority communities. We must act quickly to protect women and their families across the county.”

With Ronayne as Cuyahoga County’s executive, I believe that programs and legislation would be made to help women take back these rights and have access to resources and health care workers that will help them safely decide and assist them with their reproductive decisions.

Ohio Attorney General: Jeffrey Crossman

Jeffrey Crossman (Democratic nominee) is running against David Yost (Republican nominee). Jeffrey Crossman expressed how he “Understands that access to safe abortion care means access to the healthcare women often need when they are planning their families.”

What many students don’t understand is how important the position of state attorney general actually is. The state attorney general is the chief legal advisor of the state government and the state’s chief law enforcement advisor.

The state attorney general is essentially the person who defends the people and helps to ensure that state departments do what’s best for the citizens.

I believe having someone like Jeffrey Crossman as our attorney general would be extremely beneficial for the protection of women’s rights from constricting laws and declining access to safe and affordable healthcare.

The right to vote is one of the fundamental rights that citizens have in the United States. Although every election is important, with reproductive rights up to the states, this midterm election is one that will have an enormous impact. Choosing which candidates we want to represent us is one that requires immense research and understanding of what these people support and the types of changes they will make while in office. Students who are 18 should take advantage of this opportunity and start to make an impact on our country right now.