The Truth Staff
“I want to be part of the changing of the guard,” said Lucas County Commissioner Anita Lopez on Tuesday, February 20, standing in front of the Lucas County Early Voting Center and announcing the start of the early voting period for the upcoming March 19 primary. She also stressed during the press conference why she wants to win election to the post she was appointed to just month before.
Lopez, the longtime former Lucas County Auditor, emphasized the extensive organized labor support she has received as a number of such supporters, along with elected officials, joined her at the event.
Lopez is facing off in the Democratic primary against State Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson who has also emphasized her labor endorsements.
“The majority of labor actually has endorsed me,” noted Lopez listing the support she has been given by the Building Trades, the various safety forces unions, Laborers Local 500, among others.
With Lopez during the press conference were a number of elected officials from around the county, such as Lucas County Recorder Michael Ashford, Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline, Scott Noonan of Maumee City Council.
Lopez listed as three key components of her platform the need to bring more jobs into the county, her desire to be as accessible as possible “to all areas and all groups, and her “county experience” that will help to bring “immediate change” to those areas that need change.
Moline, a former Toledo City Council Member, was appointed to the County Auditor position to replace Lopez after Lopez was appointed to the Commissioner post. Moline attended the press conference, she said, both to encourage voters to vote early and “to support my friend … her experience at the county level means she will be forward looking and accessible and she will bring that experience to the County Commissioners’ office.”
Lopez is a licensed State of Ohio attorney and a graduate of Central Catholic High School, the University of Toledo and the University of Toledo College of Law.
She began her legal career at the Toledo Fair Housing Center and later joined the City of Toledo as Director of Purchasing, Contract Compliance and Affirmative Action.
In 2004 Commissioner Lopez was elected as the Lucas County Recorder, and in 2006 she was elected Lucas County Auditor. Lopez made history as the first woman in Lucas County to be elected Auditor and as the first Latina Lucas County Commissioner.
She was sworn in as a Commissioner on January 8, 2024.