Brian Poindexter’s campaign for the 7th Congressional District began in his friend’s garage in January when he and his buddy hand made a podium.
Tom Dufour, Poindexter’s friend and a fellow Brook Park councilman, shared the news of Poindexter’s campaign on X with a photo of their proud creation.
They immediately received a critical reply: What they built was a lectern − not a podium.
That was Poindexter’s inauspicious entry into the national political scene, but he’s come a long way since.
Poindexter, a Democrat and ironworker running on a platform of helping the working class, now finds himself in one of the most closely watched Congressional races in the country. With incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller under intense scrutiny over domestic abuse allegations, pundits and polls show Poindexter might have the chance of turning the district blue in a year when the balance of Congressional power is up for grabs.
“We believe that we can win this race − and the needle has continued to move in our direction,” Poindexter said this week during an interview at a Brook Park coffee shop. “We feel stronger than ever.”
With so much attention focused on the 7th District race, the Beacon Journal went to Poindexter’s hometown to learn more about the relatively unknown local politician who has suddenly been thrust into the national spotlight.
Pierre Aboukhaled, the owner of Express Deli, Poindexter’s favorite sandwich shop, called him “one of the hardest-working people I know.
Aboukhaled greeted Poindexter with a hug and asked how he was doing when he visited for lunch on a recent afternoon.
“Anxious. Tired. Over-stressed,” Poindexter replied.
“I think that means you’re doing good,” Aboukhaled said, laughing.
Poindexter starts working at a young age
Poindexter, 47, grew up in Cleveland and was one of six kids.
His father was a machinist and one of his grandfathers was an autoworker.
Starting when he was 15, Poindexter worked as a machinist at night after school and sports practice and on weekends.
After he graduated, he worked several different jobs, including at Friendly’s ice cream, in several factories and for a local and then a national moving company. His routes crisscrossed the country, allowing him to visit all 48 continental states.
In 2007, Poindexter joined Ironworkers Local 17, becoming the third generation in his family to learn a trade.
As soon as he joined the union, Poindexter said his pay went up, he received full benefits, and he started saving for retirement.
“It stabilized my family life,” said Poindexter, who, by this time, was married and had two daughters. “I was no longer worried about a bill popping up.”
When he finished his apprenticeship in 2012, he became an organizer, spreading the word about the union’s perks. He did this for two years, then returned to the field so he’d have more time to spend with his family.
In Akron, his projects included Bridgestone Americas’ parking garage and a Summa Health System addition. In Cleveland, he worked on the Browns’ scoreboard, a few NASA buildings and Cleveland Clinic’s education campus.
Poindexter began teaching in the union’s apprenticeship program in 2021 and enjoyed this new challenge.
“When I was a young man coming into adulthood, I was pretty rough around the edges,” he said. “I grew up in a rough neighborhood, so I had to learn some hard lessons. To come full circle and be an instructor and instruct youngsters just like how I was and kind of help guide them through their adulthood was really rewarding.”
Rich Jordan, the business manager of Ironworkers Local 17 who has known Poindexter for 20 years, called him an “excellent human being doing things the right way.”
“Brian is a very hardworking person – very dedicated to the working class,” he said.
Poindexter is inspired to run for office and wins a council seat
While working as a union organizer, Poindexter said he was struck by the struggles of working people.
He wanted to do something to help but wasn’t sure what.
In 2016, Poindexter liked the message of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders about the need to help the working class that struggles to make ends meet. He attended a rally at Cleveland State University in which Sanders encouraged people to get involved by running for local office.
“I didn’t think anybody like me could make a difference,” Poindexter said. “I figured I’d give it a shot.”
He ran for an at-large Brook Park City Council seat in 2017 – and won.
Poindexter said he’s tried to support Brook Park employees by pushing for them to have fair contracts and making sure those working on projects in the city had everything they needed.
“It’s been good,” he said. “At times, I’ve lost sleep.”
Poindexter proposed starting a committee made up of residents to advise council on emerging technology. This was a suggestion by Dufour, who, at the time, wasn’t a council member but lived in Brook Park and had a background in web design.
“He’s somebody who isn’t afraid to explore new ideas and that was great to have in a representative,” said Dufour, who was elected to Brook Park council in 2023 and is now Poindexter’s campaign manager.
The technology committee made suggestions for improvements during the COVID-19 pandemic, including council livestreaming its meetings.
“I am no tech guy,” Poindexter said. “I learned a lot.”
Rich Salvatore, a longtime Brook Park council member who is now council president, said Poindexter has been a positive addition.
“He stands up for what he believes in,” Salvatore said. “He represents the people very well.”
Poindexter and his wife divorced in 2022. He said the split was amicable, and they remain on good terms.
“I’m proud of her and I think she’s proud of me,” he said.
Poindexter’s older daughter got a degree in accounting, while his younger daughter is pursuing a nursing degree at Kent State University. He has a girlfriend with a daughter who is in high school.
Poindexter hopes to jump from council to Congress
Poindexter said he decided to run for Congress for the same reason he decided to run for council – to help working people.
He ran in the Democratic primary for the 7th District seat on May 5 against seven opponents, garnering nearly 37% of the vote. He credits the support he received from unions.
Poindexter continued to work for the ironworker union’s apprenticeship program until the end of the semester on May 30 and then took a leave so he could work full-time on his campaign.
Jordan, the Local 17 business manager, said union leaders would love to have one of their own in Congress.
“We hope to get someone in there for the working class,” he said.
Poindexter has received $5,000 contributions from several labor unions, according to his latest campaign finance reports.
Miller, who ran unopposed in the primary, recently announced that he will put $1 million of his own money into his campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Miller did so after bucking pressure to drop out of the race by the Aug. 10 deadline to allow Republicans to put someone else on the ballot.
Emily Moreno, Miller’s ex-wife and the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, has accused him of abusing her before and after their marriage. The couple is in an ugly custody dispute involving their 2-year-old daughter.
Miller has denied Moreno’s allegations, which have drawn national media attention, and is suing her for defamation.
Miller’s campaign struggles, while Poindexter’s heats up
Since Miller opted to remain in the race, the outlook has become bleaker for him and better for Poindexter.
The Cook Political Report, which had already downgraded the 7th District race once, dropped it from “likely Republican” to “toss up” on Aug. 10. The 7th District includes Medina and Ashland counties and parts of Cuyahoga and Wayne counties.
The Democratic Congressional Committee announced Aug. 11 that it was adding Poindexter to its Red to Blue program, which means the committee will dedicate more money and resources to his race.
Signs of this support have already become evident, with a protest against Miller planned for Aug. 14 in Parma by local Democratic-leaning groups, with help from Downfield Strategies, a national political consultant based in New York City.
Poindexter said he welcomes support from anyone regardless of their political persuasion. His supporters include national figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and local leaders like Berea Mayor Cyril Kleem, who is a Republican.
“I’m trying hard to keep the door open,” Poindexter said. “I don’t care if you’re a Republican, Democrat or independent.”
Poindexter said his campaign has an “ambitious” fundraising goal, which he opted not to share. He said they never thought they could raise more than Miller.
“We don’t have to,” Poindexter said. “All we have to do is raise enough money to get our message out.”
A GOP-supporting group recently sent a mass text to voters, telling them that Poindexter was convicted of an illegal fireworks charge.
Poindexter said he’s not ashamed of this. He said he attended a Fourth of July party in 2023 at a neighbor’s house and was there when they set off fireworks, which Brook Park outlawed. He said he could have fought the misdemeanor charge but opted to plead guilty and pay a fine.
As for the allegations against Miller, Poindexter has said if they’re true, Miller should be in jail. Poindexter, though, said he’s more focused on how he’d do things differently if he’s elected to Congress than the controversy surrounding Miller.
As a man who hand crafted the lectern for his campaign launch, Poindexter pledges he’ll live up to his “working guy” persona and give it his all between now and Nov. 3.
“A lot of people try to portray themselves differently in the public light, but I’m just showing people who I am,” he said. “That’s literally who I am. It’s where I came from. It’s what I do.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3705.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Who is Brian Poindexter? Meet the Ohio Democrat taking on Rep. Max Miller
Reporting by Stephanie Warsmith, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Stephanie Warsmith, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
