Jack Bowe: My thoughts on Perrysburg mayoral candidate Aaron Harder
I interviewed Harder one week following the May 6th special election, where he earned his place on the November general election ballot.
I take my vote seriously. But more importantly, I take my endorsement seriously. I don’t publicly support candidates who are receiving my vote simply because they are the “lesser of two evils.” I don’t endorse every candidate that I vote for. Not only is it unnecessary, but it is damaging. Endorsing every candidate that earns my vote hurts my credibility by exponentially decaying the value of my endorsement. Today, I am not ready to endorse Harder, nor can I guarantee him my vote.
There are a few reasons for this.
The first and most important reason is that I have not yet sat down with Harder’s opponent, Mark Weber, for an interview. I plan to reach out with a request soon. (Edit 05/29/25: Mr. Weber has accepted an interview invitation set for mid-to-late June.) Second, it’s too early. Here’s a bonus reason: I may choose not to endorse a mayoral candidate this year. I wanted to give my thoughts on our public conversation (which can be found here: Aaron Harder on his Perrysburg mayoral campaign), private discussions, and the publicly available information about him and his candidacy.
First, I voted for Harder in the primary (along with Weber, a fact that I shared with Harder in our interview). My choice was based partly on the process of elimination; I have no issue with Deborah Born as an individual, but we share a fundamental disagreement on the future of Downtown Perrysburg (the “Downtown Revitalization Plan”). Harder and Weber both support the plan. However, I struggled to distinguish between Aaron Harder and Mark Weber based on the information available in their prior interviews with local news. There were two stark differences: Harder is in his third year of Perrysburg residency, Weber is a lifelong resident, and Weber is a current Perrysburg councilman, whereas Harder has no political experience. I wanted to support a young candidate (Harder is 28), but Weber had the experience I appreciate. Harder was my second choice on my May 6th ballot (and he’s aware of this). I knew that there was more than age and experience that separates the two candidates, so I questioned Harder about it in our interview. He acknowledged Weber’s seniority:
“Mark and I do have very similar platforms in that, you know, we both cherish the history here in Perrysburg… Mark has lived here for a very long time, and so [he has] a very deep personal connection. To me… the history about this town is…. a wonderful thing for someone… to move into.” — Aaron Harder
Speaking to the difference between the two, he believes that he is more open to experimentation and reform, partly due to his youth and open mind. While he doesn’t think that the city has made significant mistakes in the recent past, he emphasized the need to think ahead and prepare for growth:
"As the city is growing, we are kind of growing into the area that we have to expand... [We need] to be judicious and wise with how we use that land if we're going to make sure that Perrysburg remains... economically prosperous, financially stable, and a nice place to live." — Aaron Harder
Harder claims that he may be more willing to adjust zoning laws and remove administrative red tape to encourage diverse and affordable housing options to prop up.
Voters in the City of Perrysburg have a history of being risk-averse to young candidates, but Harder says his youth would be an advantage in the office.
"Youth comes with the ability to adapt... and hav[e] new ideas. You're just not quite as comfortable with something because you haven't been doing it for a long time, so you're willing to explore... options." — Aaron Harder
Later in our conversation, Harder thanked the Perrysburg voters for advancing him to the November general election.
“It’s really an honor… ther’s obviously that worry that you’re not going to make it and so it was quite the relief and an honor to feel that… I made enough of a good impression to have the trust of Perrysburgers that… I’m a worthy candidate to go into November… I’m really honored to have the chance.” — Aaron Harder
Following our interview, I spoke with Harder off-air about some topics that I felt were more personal. I won’t share most of that conversation, but I can say this: Harder possesses a passion for politics rooted in his love for his city, state, and country. Over the last decade, he has spent countless hours volunteering for campaigns, canvassing, and petitioning for state and national issues, and contributing to American democracy. I have a tremendous respect for that. Harder wants to see a positive impact change from the top of our political system to the bottom. He will dedicate himself to pushing for meaningful change in the federal government, his hometown unincorporated community of Bono, and everywhere in between.
Here is what I can say today, May 15th: Aaron Harder would make a fantastic mayor of the City of Perrysburg.
Since this article’s date of publication, Mark Weber has accepted a request for an interview. The interview will take place on a date to be determined before July 1st.