Laura Sirot

Laura Sirot's career experience includes working as a professor.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Laura Sirot lives in Wooster, Ohio. She is professor and associate chair of Biology at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and has worked and lived in Wooster for the past 15 years. Her research mainly relates to understanding the reproductive biology of insect vectors of human pathogens and agricultural pests. She is the recipient of three NIH grants, one Fulbright award, an institutional Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant, and is a participant in an international mosquito control consortium.

In addition to her job and her family, Laura is very involved in her local community in the areas of children and family services, sustainability, animal rescue, and science communication. She is co-founder and co-coordinator of the Wooster Science Café (now in its 14th year) which is a monthly forum for discussing science-related issues of public interest. She has been a foster parent for Wayne County Children Services and adopted a child through foster care. She continues to serve Wayne County Children Services as a Board member and through mentoring families and children. She has worked with numerous animal rescue agencies in the area both individually and with her family and students. She is very passionate about making Ohio and the world a safer place for current and future generations. The urgency of the issues facing Ohio has motivated her to run for State Senate in District 31 in 2026.

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?

Ohio Legislators Must Get Their Priorities Straight:

Republicans have controlled the state legislature for most of the last 30 years. They had a supermajority for the last 15 years.

They prioritized “business-friendly” policies, favoring loopholes and incentives for corporations and the wealthiest among us. They put an unfair burden on the shoulders of everyday working people.

We are feeling the effects of those policy decisions in every aspect of our lives, whether we live in the more rural parts of our district or the small towns and cities.

My policy priorities are to make life easier for the Ohioans who have been neglected for too long. I will put working Ohioans at the center of our policies where we belong.Strong Support for Public Education:

I will commit to supporting access to excellent public education for every student in Ohio.

To do so, I will support:

(i) fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan, that supports K–12 public schools based on the real cost of educating students and each district’s ability to pay;

(ii) ensuring that all schools receiving state funds, whether public or private, are held accountable to the same standards on reporting and oversight and are open to all students;

(iii) expanding current programs that fund tuition for Ohioans at our public universities, helping reverse the trend of young people leaving the state; and

(iv) reversing SB1, which undermines the quality of Ohio’s higher education system.Commitment to Affordability:

It is becoming increasingly unaffordable to thrive in Ohio. The high costs of housing, utilities, groceries, health care, dependent care, and property taxes put a better life beyond our grasp.

I will address these concerns by supporting a universal minimum wage in Ohio of $15 and by increasing state support for affordable housing and social services.

I will also work on tax reform by increasing the state’s contributions to local services, supporting a progressive income tax, and decreasing private property taxes. Further, I will support policies that make farming affordable and help our current and future farmers to continue providing food for our communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The public policies I am most passionate about are education and children’s services, health care, and agriculture and natural resources.

I have been an educator for over 30 years. I started as a GED instructor during college and worked for the past 16 years as a professor at The College of Wooster. My children have been educated in the Wooster City School District public school system.

My passion is giving all our children a fair start. I supported Wayne County Children Services through fostering and adopting and, currently, through mentoring, and serving on the board.

I believe the protection of healthy soils, water, air, and forests is crucial to maintaining Ohio’s farming and recreational activities, both of which I greatly value.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

314 Action Fund, Ohio Federation of Teachers