Martin Heberling III

Martin Heberling III graduated from Marion L. Steele High School. He earned an associate degree from Lorain County Community College in 2011, a bachelor's degree from Ashland University in 2015, and a graduate degree from Ashland University in 2020. His career experience includes working as a public school teacher.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a public school educator and local union leader who represents the working class of Ohio's 5th Congressional District. With over a decade in the classroom at Lorain City Schools, I see firsthand how federal policy impacts our families, our students, and our future. I do not just talk about public service. I have a proven track record of delivering results.

I have served 7 years as a City of Amherst, Councilman-at-Large, where I have balanced budgets and tackled infrastructure issues head on. I served on the Lorain County Children Services Board, dedicating my time to helping our most vulnerable families and children. I currently serve as the Lorain County AFL-CIO treasurer, championing the rights and Economic Dignity of Ohio's working class. I am the founder of the non-profit environmental and educational youth group called the Lorain County Youth Brigade, which empowers our youth and instills civic pride.

I am running for Ohio's 5th Congressional District to move us beyond the status quo and fight for three key factors. First, I want to improve Economic Dignity and bring high-paying jobs back to Ohio, and expand the Ohio child tax credit. I want to improve healthcare as a human right, capping prescription costs, and protecting our rural and urban hospitals from closing. Finally, I want to modernize our outdated infrastructure by securing federal grants to eliminate blocked railroad crossings, improve our streets, and sewers.

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?

Healthcare is a Human Right. We must end the era where a medical diagnosis is a financial death sentence. I will fight to cap out-of-pocket costs for essential medications and pass the Medical Debt Relief Act. We also need to protect our rural hospitals from closure, ensuring that whether you live in a city or a small farming village, quality care is never more than a few miles away.As a teacher, I know that our schools are the heart of our communities. I will advocate for federal funding that goes directly into the classroom and not into administrative red tape. This means smaller class sizes, modern technology, and a massive expansion of vocational and trade school partnerships. We need to tell our kids that a four-year degree is a great path, but a skilled trade is a noble and high-paying career that can be started right here at home.Economic Dignity means protecting the American Dream for the next generation. It means ensuring that my students don't have to leave their hometowns to find a career that pays a living wage. It’s about building an economy that works for everyone, from the farmer in Huron County to the steelworker in Lorain County.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m running for Congress because Economic Dignity means that a heart transplant shouldn't cost you your house. It means that healthcare is a human right, not a luxury for the few. I want to go to Washington to pass the Medical Debt Relief Act so that when your family faces a crisis, you can focus on your loved ones instead of your bank account.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Matt Lundy, Former Ohio State Representative and Lorain County Commissioner

David Kos, Avon Lake City Councilman

Becky Harmych, Amherst City Councilwoman

Jeff Bearer, Lorain City Councilman

Campaign websiteHeberling's campaign website stated the following:Fighting for the Healthcare we deserve!"This isn't just about policy; it’s about our values. It’s about whether we believe that the person bagging your groceries deserves the same lifesaving care as a CEO. The insurance lobbyists have Bob Latta’s ear, but I want your back! I want a seat in that House so I can look the big corporations in the eye and say: Our lives are not for sale. I am living the struggle with crippling medical debt, and I’m ready to fight for the healthcare we deserve.” Fighting for public education!"I come to you today not just as a candidate, but as a colleague. I am a teacher for Lorain City Schools. I also know the frustration of trying to teach in a system that is being starved of resources. We are seeing a coordinated attack on public education in 2026. From threats to consolidate Title I funding to the constant pressure to do "more with less" amid skyrocketing property taxes, the burden is falling on our students and our staff. As your Representative, I won’t just "support" public education. I will champion it as the backbone of our economy. We need to invest in vocational training for the green jobs of the future. We need to protect the grants that support our most vulnerable students. Finally, we need to treat educators like the professionals they are.In my classroom, I teach my students that their voice matters. It’s time we had a voice in Washington that actually knows what the inside of a 21st-century classroom looks like." Fighting for the families, the workers, and for the respect of our unions!"I don't just hold the title of Treasurer for the Lorain County AFL-CIO. I hold a union card, I pay my dues, and I walk the same line you do. We’re standing here in 2026 at a crossroads. We’ve seen the reports: corporate profits are hitting record highs, yet we’re told there’s "no room" for fair contracts. We see our fellow teachers, laborers, UPS workers or auto workers wondering if their job is the next one to be shipped out or automated away by AI. My opponent, Bob Latta, likes to brag about his "perfect voting record", but let’s look at what those votes actually did for us. This past January, he voted against restoring the healthcare subsidies that thousands of Ohio families rely on. He voted to strip earmarks from Labor/HHS funding that keeps our workplaces safe. That’s not a perfect record–that’s a record of neglect.I’m running for Congress because I’m tired of being told that workers are 'essential' during a crisis, but 'expendable' during a budget meeting. In Washington, I won’t be looking for a “perfect record” with party leadership. I’ll be fighting for a perfect record for you. Better pay, full-time jobs, and the dignity that every worker in the 5th District deserves. Let’s remind them that billionaires didn’t build Ohio. Ohio was built by the calloused hands of organized labor.”Standing with you and fighting for lower energy costs. Ohio families are paying the price for Washington’s inaction. While Bob Latta watches from the sidelines, our reality is getting more expensive. It’s time for a representative who fights for your wallet, not corporate donors. Standing with you, against an administration that oursources steel and undermines american jobs. In Congress, I won’t permit a single cent of our tax money to be used on “vanity projects” that bypass American labor. I’ll fight to ensure we Buy American and Hire Union every single time. Because that is what real Economic Dignity looks like for Ohio’s District 5."Standing with our Ohio farmers, while they fight to maintain family business, against big business takeover. Our farmers are the backbone of Ohio, but Washington is leaving the family farm behind. While Bob Latta sides with corporate giants, I’m running to be a voice for the hardworking families who feed our country. It’s time for a Congressman who understands the value of an honest day’s work.Standing with our fellow Lorain COunty Job and Family Services employees. Lorain County is experiencing a tyrannical form of County government that seeks to dismantle its unions. Our Lorain County Job and Family Services is one example of this. Currently, several of our LCJFS employees are receiving the very benefits that they distribute to families in need. That needs to change. Join me and many others in supporting all Job and Family Services facilities throughout Ohio’s District 5. What they do for our community is amazing, and they deserve to be appreciated. Standing with our fellow public school families and educators. I am a teacher. I am experiencing the result of a destructive legislature that currently serves to defund public schools, so they can break down urban and rural cities and destroy public school unions. They want to privatize our schools so they can pocket your tax dollars and control what our future generations learn. Standing with our fellow healthcare employees. I will always support the people and entities that serve to keep us safe and help us heal. Join me and let’s make sure that our hospitals and healthcare facilities remain properly funded and equipped with modern technology. Let’s make sure the employees that put themselves on the line for us, are respected with jobs that offer Economic Dignity, so they know that we truly appreaciate them. — Martin Heberling III's campaign website (May 1, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

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