Former Ohio State wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley circa 1997. Credit: Courtesy of OSU Athletic Communications.
Former Ohio State wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley helped the Buckeyes win the Rose Bowl in 1997, and now he wants to help make the Buckeye capital a better city. Stanley is running for a spot on the Columbus City Council and is endorsed by the Franklin County Republican Party.
“I want to make Columbus one of the greatest cities in the country, and that is why I am running,” Stanley told OSU students Wednesday night at the Ohio Union during a College Republicans meeting. “You guys are the most important part of what we are trying to accomplish in this city. Help us take this city back. I want to make sure Columbus is staying right.”
Allen Peele, a third-year in English and political science and sergeant at arms of the OSU College Republicans, said he believes that local elections like that for City Council are important because “these local governments affect our lives directly. People have more impact on a small election than a federal election, so it’s important to get involved.”
As councilman, Stanley said he would look for ways to keep OSU students in Columbus after they graduate.
“I want to make sure we have a job environment where we have great opportunities for students like yourself when you leave school that keeps you here,” he said. “It’s really disappointing to bring you guys here, to train you here, to educate you here, and then you go somewhere else. To me that’s a lot of talent that we are losing.”
Zackery Dunnells, a third-year in neuroscience and psychology, attended the meeting and said he loved what Stanley had to say about keeping students in central Ohio.
“Dimitrious is someone who graduated from Ohio State and who is now living in Columbus. He is actually doing what he is campaigning on, he is living his goal,” Dunnells said.
Michael Lakomy, president of the College Democrats and a third-year in accounting, said that although being a former Buckeye wide receiver might give Stanley the cool factor, it doesn’t justify his run, given his lack of experience in politics or public service.
“I think he’s probably well intentioned, but he doesn’t have the policy background, he doesn’t have the experience,” he said. “Columbus is a city that wants to be big and be taken seriously, and we have a cohort of really great public servants who are running for council right now, and Dimitrious Stanley is not one of those people.”
On Stanley’s website, he advocates for creating “a regional development director” program. He wants “one for each area of our city, east, west, north and south, with the specific mission of growing jobs in that area.”
Also on his website, Stanley promises to focus on making Columbus “an incubator for high-tech businesses and the high-wage jobs they bring.” He wants to create “a high-speed fiber optic network,” for increased online data transfer, in Columbus.
Laurel Lesley, a first-year in marketing who attended the meeting, said she enjoyed listening to Stanley.
“I am so proud to have a former Buckeye running for City Council, and I am looking forward to seeing him in office,” she said.
According to Stanley’s website, OSU football coach Urban Meyer has endorsed him, along with ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
