Navy Combat Veteran Hillary O’Connor Mueri, Call Sign “Toro,” Announces Her Candidacy for Congress in Ohio’s 14th District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Press@HillaryOConnorMueri.com
Hillary Brings With Her Strong Union Roots in Ohio
Raised in Painesville, Ohio, Hillary O’Connor Mueri is a 4th generation Ohioan from a proud union family. Hillary’s mother was a schoolteacher and OEA member, and her father was a welder and UAW member. As a child, her family saw first-hand the impact of a changing economy when her father was laid off from his job at General Motors at Coit Road when the plant closed barely three years after moving the family. She has lived the economic insecurity many families in Ohio face, and she feels, bone-deep, its effect on Ohio communities. When Hillary heard about the recent General Motors strike, it helped to inspire her to stand up for working families in Ohio—because the people of Ohio deserve a representative who understands them, who can speak for them, and who will fight for them and their needs.
Hillary has dedicated her life to the service of others. She was one of the first generations of women flight officers trained, from the ground up, to fly in combat. A Naval Flight Officer, Hillary flew F-14s, F/A-18s, and F-16s for the U.S. Navy, including 12 combat missions over Iraq. She braved anti-aircraft artillery fire to provide close air support to imperiled ground troops.
Statement from Hillary:
“Our political system is broken. Career politicians like Congressman David Joyce are taking their marching orders from corporate donors, while people in Ohio are facing real problems. I'm running because it's time to put families in Ohio ahead of Wall Street, big corporations and special interests. I'll fight for affordable and available health care, for a better local economy and, as the product of a struggling middle class family in Painesville and a Navy Combat Veteran, the only marching orders I take will be from the hard working people of Northeast Ohio.”
About Hillary:
Navy Veteran Hillary O’Connor Mueri, call sign “Toro,” grew up in Painesville, Ohio. Her mom was a schoolteacher, her father was a welder--both proud union members. When she was a child, Hillary's family experienced first-hand the impact of Ohio’s changing economy: her father was laid off from his job at General Motors at Coit Road when the plant closed. She has lived the economic insecurity many families in Ohio face, and she feels, bone-deep, its effect on Ohio communities.
Hillary began taking classes at Lake Erie College while still in high school, then later studied Aviation Engineering at THE Ohio State University. There, Hillary quickly realized she didn’t want to just design fighter aircraft, she wanted to fly them. She trained for the Navy’s physical readiness test and joined ROTC.
The Navy lifted the ban on women flying in combat in 1993. Beginning flight school in 1999, Hillary was in one of the first generations of women flight officers trained from the ground up to fly in combat. A Naval Flight Officer, Hillary flew F-14s, F/A-18s, and F-16s for the U.S. Navy, including 12 combat missions in Tomcats over Iraq. She braved anti-aircraft artillery fire in order to provide close air support to imperiled ground troops.
After her military service, Hillary earned her law degree and was hired by one of the nation’s biggest law firms. With her engineering background and countless hours in a cockpit, she was a natural for solving problems within the aviation industry. She focused her practice on aviation product liability litigation, determining how mishaps occur, and how to prevent them in the future. True to her values, she also dedicated herself to pro bono work and sought justice for folks in need. With these experiences in mind, Hillary knows that the problems Ohioans face can be solved, and families’ lives can be made more economically secure through a combination of relentless determination and common sense — of which she has no shortage.
Hillary is running for Congress because she is a product of a struggling middle-class family in Painesville, Ohio, and it's time somebody put families like that first. Ohioans deserve a representative who understands us, who can speak for us, and who will fight for us and our future. Toro will never stop fighting for Ohio.
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