The Problem
Ohio's minimum wage of $11 per hour in 2026 is simply not enough. A living wage for a family of four in Franklin County is over $20 per hour — nearly double what the law requires. That gap represents missed meals, impossible choices, and families working two or three jobs just to keep the lights on.
Across District 3, working families are falling behind. Wages have stagnated while rent, groceries, and healthcare costs have soared. The people doing the hardest work in our communities — home health aides, warehouse workers, restaurant employees, caregivers — deserve a real wage that reflects the real cost of life in Ohio.
Stacie's Plan
- Raise Ohio's minimum wage to $15 per hour, tied to inflation going forward so it never falls behind again
- Reduce Ohio's poverty level and lift working families out of financial crisis by closing the gap between wages and actual living costs
- Strengthen the middle class by ensuring that a full-time job pays enough to cover rent, food, childcare, and basic needs
- Support the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively alongside the AFL-CIO and labor partners who have endorsed this campaign
- Fight wage theft and protect overtime pay for hourly and tipped workers across District 3
Where Stacie Stands
Stacie Baker grew up watching his single mother choose between food and rent — living paycheck to paycheck on Columbus's southeast side. As an adult, he faced the same struggles. That experience isn't abstract for him. It is why he has spent 15 years in public service fighting for working families in Franklin County.
He has served as Finance Committee Chair on Reynoldsburg City Council, working with real budgets and real numbers. He knows what $11 an hour actually buys. He knows we can do better — and in the Ohio Senate, he will.
