Meet Tanya Conrath

Conrath will Fight for Freedom from Government Overreach and Create Jobs in Appalachia

Tanya Conrath, a fifth-generation Appalachian from Athens County who has spent her life working on economic development initiatives in the region, announced today she will be a candidate for the Ohio House District 94. 

Four Democratic Parties in Athens, Meigs, Morgan and Washington immediately and unanimously endorsed Conrath’s candidacy.

“I’m going to Columbus to fight for our freedom: to tell the government don’t you dare tell me what to do with my body, to tell Columbus to get its nose out of our classrooms, and to tell the government that we’re a democracy so this gerrymandering that lets you pick your voters so you can stay in power is headed for the trash bin of history,” Conrath said. “These blowhards have spent so much time and money to seize control over our private lives while their own house is crumbling with scandals and lawsuits costing taxpayers money.”

“Good jobs, prospering schools, thriving small businesses, living wages, safe communities, clean air, reliable bridges, Wi-Fi access – that’s my focus. We send our tax dollars to Columbus and instead of getting a return on our investment, we get government preaching and overreach. If you are as fed up as I am, then I’m asking you to vote and tell all your friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors to vote with us,” Conrath said.

Conrath’s career has centered on economic development initiatives that bring money, resources, and support to the people of Southeast Ohio. She was the inaugural director of the Athens Foundation’s Leadership Athens County, a program connecting and educating emerging county leaders. She led Governor Strickland’s Ohio Skills Bank initiative in an eight-county region bringing together business and post-secondary education partners to identify workforce needs, win grants, and lobby state government to invest dollars into the region. During her tenure at Ohio University, Conrath supported local entrepreneurs at TechGROWTH Ohio and then as the associate director of the Innovation Center, the University’s award-winning rural incubator. She is co-owner of Matthew Sweeney Appraisals, a real estate appraisal business founded by her husband in 1996 to provide appraisals in rural underserved areas.

Conrath is an attorney; she earned her Juris Doctorate from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and an undergraduate degree from Ohio University. She’s been actively engaged in the community serving on numerous boards including the League of Women Voters of Athens County, BlueDot Coworking, the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet), Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, My Sister’s Place, the Dairy Barn Arts Center, and The Athens Foundation.