David Esrati

David Esrati was born in Celina, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1987. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Wright State University in 1988. His career experience includes owning an advertising agency, teaching a capstone course at the University of Dayton, and being an alternate mascot for the Dayton Bombers. Esrati has been affiliated with the Disabled American Veterans, Historic South Park Inc., the American Advertising Federation, the Montgomery County Democratic Party, the Artists Guild, and the Modern Policy Institute

Reconstructing Dayton.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

David Esrati is a Dayton-based veteran, small-business owner, and citizen journalist who has spent decades challenging corruption and rebuilding civic systems from the ground up. Born in Celina and raised in Cleveland Heights, he served in the U.S. Army (1981–1987), then earned a B.S.B. in Marketing from Wright State University (1988).

Esrati founded The Next Wave Marketing • Innovation, a veteran-owned advertising and strategy firm, and has taught at the University of Dayton. Since 2005, he has published thousands of pieces of local reporting and analysis at Esrati.com—using public records, meetings, and court filings and his video skills to hold government accountable when traditional oversight fails.

He also founded www.ModernPolicy.org and www.ReconstructingDayton.org to advocate for structural reforms that make government simpler, more transparent, and less captive to insiders—ideas like consolidating duplicative jurisdictions, modernizing elections and records systems, and designing tools that let citizens see where money goes and who benefits.

Esrati has served his community through neighborhood and civic organizations, and he’s known for doing the unglamorous work: showing up, documenting facts, and pushing for reforms that protect taxpayers and restore trust.

He loves dogs, riding things with 2 wheels, jazz and funk (he played sax growing up), good brisket and playing ice hockey.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Small business first: cut the rigged fees + fix healthcare.

I’m for national healthcare so employers aren’t HR departments for insurance companies. And I’ll cap credit-card interest rates at the same level credit unions are capped 17.9% —so Main Street isn’t doomed to fund Wall Street. No more “economic development” shell games: if it’s corporate welfare, we call it that and stop it.Sunlight + enforcement: transparency, antitrust, and no more Glomar games.

I’ll push open-records rules that end “Glomar” stonewalling and stop hiding misconduct by public officials behind fake privacy rules. You break the law in public office, you get exposed. I've spent almost 5 years attempting to get the tapes of Nan Whaley that were played to the grand jury in the "Culture of Corruption" investigation – and I'm not done. Real antitrust reform: break up monopoly power that squeezes suppliers, workers, and consumers—and end sweetheart contracting that locks governments into proprietary vendor traps for public data.Democracy that talks back: OKDemocracy + digital dividends + actual access. https://esrati.com/democracy-really-needs-a-dating-app/21866

I answer people. I’ll hold regular town halls, publish schedules, and respond—because representation is a service job. I’m building OKDemocracy: an open-source voter info “dating app” + donor registration so you can see who’s funding whom. And I’ll fight for a digital dividend: if you’re a data-producing “sharecropper,” you deserve a cut of the ad revenue.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about fixing systems that keep regular people powerless: anti-corruption & transparency (real public records, no “Glomar” excuses; economic fairness for small business and families (national health care, capping credit-card interest rates, ending “economic development” corporate welfare, and enforcing real antitrust regs; modernizing democracy (open-source government software, donor registration, and tools like OKDemocracy so voters can be informed). I’m also deeply committed to education and opportunity—including free child care—plus veterans care and a VA that actually delivers (I’ve seen it fail people up close). And I want laws written in clear English—so citizens can understand what government is doing in their name.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None yet: in the past, Mom's demand action and Patients over profits.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

David Esrati is the guy you call when everything else has failed, or the powers that be have overstepped their boundaries. He's been involved in local Dayton politics as an outsider since he first ran for Mayor in 1993.

That was the year Mike Turner surprised everyone by beating Richard Clay Dixon by 400 votes.

It probably wouldn't have happened, had Esrati not been on the campaign trail- asking the hard questions- like where did the money come from for Dixon's campaign.

Turner had Esrati arrested in 1996 for a silent protest. Turner and the city lost in 5 different courts.

Since 2005, Esrati has been doing citizen journalism in Dayton on his blog, esrati.com He's exposed the dirty little underside that the FBI called the "Culture of Corruption" in Dayton.

He owns The Next Wave Marketing Innovation, an award winning ad agency. His 2 non-profits focus on fixing our broken political system: see reconstructingdayton.org focused on uni-gov and modernpolicy.org focused on open transparent voting via Ranked Choice- and having a true voter information system.

He's a US Army Veteran, a bad hockey player and the maker of great buttermilk pancakes (come to a fund raiser).

He graduated from WSU with a degree in Marketing, and has taught at the collegiate level at UD.

His involvement in Historic South Park over the years has helped his neighborhood become one of the hottest places to live in Dayton. He's rehabbed 5 properties.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

You should have the same health care your congressman has. National Security means you should be safe to go to the doctor, without worrying about bankruptcy. Go fund me is not a substitute for national health care.Money in politics has warped the system. Why is it that you don't need a background check to run for Congress (George Santos) and that we have to register to vote- but no one has to register to donate? I want to require all donors to register, with reports in real time of donations, and eliminate the self-reporting by campaigns. It's time to end Citizens United if we ever want Congress to work for us again.It's time to put an age limit on public service. At 70, you're done. Supreme Court, the Federal Bench, Congress- all of it. Make room for younger people, and new ideas.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We need absolute transparency in all levels of government. It's time to build systems for government that work- like campaign finance reporting which isn't self-reported to software for meeting agendas and votes taken for local government. We are wasting trillions on unnecessary overhead by re-inventing the wheel in every community.

Anything from the clerk of courts, to who's in jail, to when is your trash going to be picked up- or where the school bus is- needs to be improved upon.

Same goes for paying taxes. Why should a small business have to pay for software to pay it's employees taxes? Why? Because the system is too complicated and convoluted. This is effectively a tax on paying taxes.

Besides efficiency in government, we need to figure out what being an American means?

I believe in a mandatory year of public service for all upon graduating high school (and everyone needs to do that). You can go in the military, or serve in child or elder care, or be in a conservation corps, or work for the National Parks- do something that involves giving back to the community and learning what it means to be of service to your nation.

Then- in exchange, your career training is paid for. Be it becoming a doctor- or a plumber- we invest in people, not in corporations.

It's time to stop doing "economic development" where poor people subsidize rich companies. We also need to rethink the way we are tracked and monetized online. You should get a cut of the ad dollars spent to sell you

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

There are several answers to this question- I've watched President Eisenhower's farewell address many times- where he warns us of the dangers of the military industrial complex. As a retired general, he knew, and we didn't listen.

I appreciate the fortitude of Steve Jobs, who had a vision of the computer as a bicycle for the mind. I love that analogy. I would love to be able to ask him what he thinks of AI, but he was taken from us too soon. He was, as Ross Perot once said, "A monomaniac on a mission." He changed the world with his introduction of the iPhone- and our access to the internet in our pocket.

My father will always be a guidepost for me- he believed that journalism was essential for democracy to work, and he also believed that government could serve the interest of the people- if there were the correct checks and balances in place.

The last person, was a friends father. I knew he was smart when I was growing up, he taught bio-chem at Case Western Reserve University- but, I didn't know till he died, that he had discovered mRNA and his work had been cited by 3 Nobel Laureates who later discovered DNA. His name was Lazarus Astrachan- and his humility was awe inspiring. I was lucky to have known him- and eaten at his kitchen table many times.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I read a lot. My favorite book of all time is "Cats Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

I've already mentioned Eisenhower's farewell address, and you can add Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena" speech.

I think "13th" on Netflix and Youtube in it's examination of the U.S. prison system and how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America was powerful.

But so is Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing"

Both "1984" and "Animal Farm" opened my eyes.

But so did James Baldwin and Dick Gregory.

I was lucky to take a Black Lit class in High School.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

To serve all the people in my district.

I read "Animal Farm" in High School. I'm wearing a t-shirt right now that says "Make Orwell Fiction Again."

I do not believe that there is room for "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

We have a system that is now rigged for the 1% - and it's destroying the fabric of our country.

I believe in leveling the playing fields and making sure that basic rights include a right to an education, health care, safe housing, an honest days pay for an honest days work, and help for those who are less fortunate.

Most importantly, my integrity is non-negotiable.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I listen well.

I'm a good mediator.

I'm honest to a fault.

I'm not motivated by money.

I can bring creative solutions to the table- and make people think about things in a different way.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To listen and be accessible to the people in my district- and to make sure that their voices are heard and amplified to the best of my ability.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That we no longer have the best politicians money can buy.

That the rich aren't entitled to more of the pie- unless they make the pie bigger for everyone.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember my father lifting me up to look out our apartment window to see the fires in the Hough and Glenville riots. He took a photo of it- that ended up on the cover the Cleveland Plain Dealer Magazine where he worked as a copy editor. We had the National Guard standing outside our apartment building- with a jeep with a machine gun mounted on it.

I was 4 or 5.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked in a small stereo store- "Coventry Audio" starting when I was 12- washing windows, dusting, vacuuming and hooking up equipment. I ended up running the store in the summer when I was 16.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Cats Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. He takes the basic structure of the Bible- and rewrites it in an approachable way. It shows how man creates his own framework for living- based on some pretty silly scenarios.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Tony Stark/Iron Man- he had the best toys and technology.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Good Day- by Nappy Roots. I was researching it for a video- and earworm.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Holding my tongue when I hear someone say something incredibly stupid.

I don't tolerate stupidity well.

It is curable.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Right now- "qualities" is not a word I'd associate with the US House.

We have people in office that questioned the validity of the very election that put them there.

We have representatives who refuse to meet with the public.

We have representatives who actively make excuses for a former president who incited a rebellion.

Something has to change.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Absolutely not. There are many ways to be involved in politics and leadership - without having been elected, or working in government.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

If we don't come together as a nation, we won't have a nation.

The division between the parties, between rich and poor, between races, between minorities, etc has to stop.

And, we have to wake up to climate change, and that we're destroying our planet at a record pace.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Absolutely. I just believe we need to take the million dollar price tag off each race.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe elections should serve as term limits. But, not the kind of auctions for office we hold now.

I'd like to move to ranked choice voting, and national same day primaries.

What I would like to implement is mandatory retirement from public service at 70- from Presidents to Supreme Court Justices to the Federal Bench.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No, because there's never been a representative from the advertising business. Typically, creative people don't run for Congress.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I could tell you some really long ones, but my experience serving as Power of Attorney for a mentally ill veteran who had been denied his rightful benefits for 20 years is pretty powerful. You can read a story written by Dayton Daily News sportswriter Tom Archdeacon here: https://electesrati.com/tom-archdeacon-writes-about-the-veteran-im-honored-to-take-care-of/

Tell us your favorite joke.

I can't- it's not fit for publication.

My grandmother told it to me- and, well, it's based on a universal truth about the power balance between men and women.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely. But, it's not just compromise- it's also bringing creative, out of the box solutions to the table.

We can't keep shutting down the government because someone is having a temper tantrum.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

We need to reel in the holding of the budget hostage by special interests.

It's time to have full transparency in the income of our members of Congress- and stop their insider trading.

We need a donor registration system to make sure you can find out who bought your congressman on every vote.

We really need to get the money out of politics.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

To make sure that the government isn't breaking the law.

I've got a lawsuit in it's 3rd year to get the tapes that were played to the Grand Jury of former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley from the "Culture of Corruption" investigation.

The fact that the FBI and the DOJ caught Commissioner Joey D. Williams accepting bribes in office- and not only failed to prosecute him for 3 years, but then allowed him to stand for re-election with an agreement to resign if he won- was criminal.

That they are using the GloMar response, "We can neither confirm or deny the existence of those records" is criminal- this isn't a matter of national security, it's a matter of legitimate government and elections.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Working on the 2024 endorsements

Video for [the profile publisher]

Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased September 22, 2022

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

David Esrati was born in Celina, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1987. He earned a bachelor's degree from Wright State University in 1988. He owns the advertising agency "The Next Wave" Founded VOB108 a veterans business group. Esrati has been affiliated with the Disabled American Veterans, Historic South Park Inc., the American Advertising Federation, the Montgomery County Democratic Party, the Artists Guild, and founded the non-profits: Modern Policy Institute and Reconstructing Dayton.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Esrati works for you, not the base.Pro choice, pro women, pro doctors, pro children.None of the mass shooters were part of a "well regulated militia"- it's time to restrict semi-automatic weapons to the militias.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Leveling the playing field for small businesses. It's time we made it easier for small businesses to deal with government regulation- by starting with a government provided payroll system that's free to use. There shouldn't be a vig on paying taxes.

We have voter registration systems- I believe in donor registration systems that provide verified, real time records of all political donations. American's should be able to see who is buying their leaders.

Health care shouldn't be chosen by your employer. The pandemic proved the government can pay for health care for all- isn't it time to stop victimizing sick people in our country by sticking them with huge bills when they get cancer or the like? Go fund me isn't the answer. Single payer is. If Congress has government health care- so should you.

Invest in public projects, infrastructure, mass transit, lead water pipe elimination, rural internet, high speed rail- not building chip plants for the tech giants. Public money shouldn't subsidize private business.

Income inequality- no one is worth 300x what their median employees pay is- and stock buy backs is theft from the shareholders. Unless you are a founder, and retained ownership, and pay dividends- you didn't get to earn billions by yourself. Time to make sure the US Taxpayers aren't subsidizing your sub-living wages (Walmart - I'm talking to you).

Transparency in government. It's time we built open source systems for running every level of government. Meeting agendas etc

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I take a little bit of a lot of people to establish my role models. Steve Jobs and his single focus on ease of use and a standardized interface had a big impact on my professional life. Muhammad Ali and the costs he bore in saying “I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." Famous ad man Bill Bernbach said "It's not a principle until it costs you money" and I've had to put my money where my mouth is multiple times when it comes to open meetings and transparency. I believe that Rosa Parks showed the power of a protest of one- and for that, I thank her. It gave me hope when Mike Turner arrested me for a symbolic protest in the Dayton City Commission meeting on Feb 28, 1995. There are no perfect role models- I had a Nike poster hanging in my kitchen for a long time with Charles Barkley saying "I am not a role model" and some of the reasons why.

I look up to Phil Jackson, a coach who could get the best out of difficult players. I think of Eisenhower's final speech to the American people- warning them of the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex, of FDR asking the country to work together to make it through the great depression.

I had a 2x Medal of Honor recipient for my CO in Phase 1 of Special Forces School- he believed in leading by example and not having his trainees do anything he wouldn't. Maj Howard had multiple Purple Hearts but could still ruck march 12 miles.

I don't have one example because no one is perfect. I try to take the best of each of them- and do things in a way that my parents would be proud.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember Bobby Kennedy being shot. I was 5. I also remember watching Hough and Glenville burn during the riots in Cleveland- my father, a journalist took a photo out of our window of the skyline on fire that appeared on the cover of the Sunday Plain Dealer Magazine.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I started working at Coventry Audio in Cleveland Heights when I was 12 years old. At first I washed windows, cleaned, and hooked up equipment and kept the stockroom in order, but soon, I was helping customers and eventually by the time I was 15- I was running the store in the summer.

I learned that the biggest problem wasn't selling the equipment, it was getting people to come in and see what we have. This began my journey into advertising.

I was there for 3 years- and then went to work for my bosses friend Barry, at Mayfield Music until I graduated High School.

Note: Esrati submitted the above survey responses to [the profile publisher] on August 4, 2022.

Show past responsesHide past responses

March 14 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Veteran, community activist, citizen journalist, ad man. Committed to open transparent government, I've challenged the City of Dayton, The Dayton Public School Board, The Dayton Metro Library and even the Feds in court to make sure the public has access to public records. I've been involved in the Transformation of the South Park Historic district since 1986.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Small businesses shouldn't have to pay a payroll processor tax just to pay their employees.Economic development incentives have to be available to all- not just big business, and the poor need to stop financing the wealthy (Intel's move to Ohio).We have to create a real time, verified reporting system for all campaign donations to know how we get the best politicians money can buy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Small business policy- since they create a healthy majority of all jobs.

Reigning in the obscene wealth gap caused by the Wizards of Wall Street.

Universal health care options to put small business on an equal footing with large businesses.

Transparency in government and accountability for elected officials.

Veterans.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I read a lot. I write a lot. I also try to meet people who I admire or respect.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr changed my life with "Cat's Cradle"- and Tom Peters changed my life with "In Search of Excellence." I met Tom- drove him from Books and Company down to the Dayton Mall for a talk he gave.

Steve Jobs- who understood the power of a computer for everyone. I once called him when he'd started Next- and had a short conversation where I tried to talk him into hiring me. The personal computer and the iPhone have changed the world faster than any other inventions.

There are people in advertising that I respect- and have met. Sally Hogshead who is one of the best writers I know- wrote a book "Radical Careering" which I felt should be given to all school systems as a motivational tool.

Alex Bogusky- who set the world on fire with ad campaign after campaign from 2000-2010- by being provocative and smart. The anti-smoking Truth Campaign was part of his legacy.

But, for the most part, I've followed my fathers advice - he even wrote me a book called "Dear Son, do you really want to be an American" which is available for free on my blog- esrati.com

He wrote it around 1969-70 when we were living in Canada- because he was afraid of what Nixon would do to our country (that GWB did later). He'd served in the Army- he wasn't a draft dodger- but, the book was for when I turned 18- and I'd have to decide what county I would choose.

Read it. It's short. It will tell you more than anything I've wrote about what makes me tick.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Read "Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Watch "The Best Years of our Lives"

Go volunteer in your neighborhood to improve it- build a playground, clean up trash, help a neighbor.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, altruism.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm confident and able to endure personal attacks.

I read everything I can get my hands on- and think about the implications of actions- both in the short and long term.

I am a good listener.

I believe in the oath of office- and the oath I took when I joined the Army.

I know our entire system is based on trust and truth- and will fight to make sure both are at the forefront.

I know how to adapt and improvise.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent those who aren't heard. The poor, the sick, the old, the young.

What legacy would you like to leave?

He made people think.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The burning of Collinwood - we could see the whole skyline on fire from our apartment. My father took a photo of it that was on the cover of the Sunday Plain Dealer Magazine (he worked at the paper).

I also remember Bobby Kennedy getting shot.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I started working at Coventry Audio in Cleveland Heights when I was 12 years old. By the time I was 16, I was running the store in the summer.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Cat's Cradle" - From the net- "Vonnegut uses Cat's Cradle to satire the ideas society holds about progress and how it is achieved through the pursuit of truth; the pursuit of knowledge gained through science and experimentation. Society seems to believe that it can better itself through obtaining empirical, scientific data about the world around us."

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Iron Man. Tony Stark didn't have to put on the suit to fight for mankind- but, he put his money where his mouth was.

What is someth