William B. Redpath, a Libertarian from Perrysburg, Ohio, is running for U.S. Senate in the Nov. 3 general election to fill the rest of an unexpired term. Greg Levy (Independent), Jon Husted (Republican) and Sherrod Brown (Democratic) are also in the race.

Asked why he is running, Redpath said in our candidate questionnaire: "I wanted there to be a Libertarian voice in the Ohio US Senate election this year, and without me in this race, there wouldn't be one." He added that "Democrats and Republicans are not seriously addressing the truly important issues of the day, and the people of Ohio should have a choice in this election beyond a Progressive who will bring this nation closer to a Federal debt crisis and another person who will back up Donald Trump 99% of the time."

Candidate information

Party: Libertarian

Residence: Perrysburg, Ohio

Birthplace: Findlay, Ohio

Education: "Findlay (Ohio) High School, 1975. BA, Indiana University, 1978. MBA, The University of Chicago, 1980."

Family: "It's just me."

Best advice received: "To focus on the long term and matters that are timeless."

Occupation and work history: "After I earned my MBA degree, I worked as an auditor and accountant at Arthur Andersen & Co. in Cincinnati, WISH-TV in Indianapolis, and ABC and NBC in New York for a total of five years. After that, I had a 38 year career in Business Valuation, specializing in Media & Telecommunications, at BIA Advisory Services in Washington and Summit Ridge Group in Chicago. I retired from that career in 2023."

Redpath said in our questionnaire that he holds "an active Certified Public Accountant license in Ohio and Illinois." He was inducted into the Libertarian Party's Hall of Liberty in 2016, according to the Libertarian Party.

Experience and public service

He has never held public office.

Previous office: "I have never been elected or appointed to a public office. I have been a member of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) for a total of 25 years, including as Chair of the LNC from 2006 to 2010 and have served as Treasurer several times."

Accomplishments: "I worked non-stop in various financial positions in the private sector for 43 years, while my opponents have largely been in government positions for their entire careers. I am known within the Libertarian Party (LP) for my work to secure ballot access for its candidates. I am the National Ballot Access Coordinator for the LP and have been running LP petition drives since 1990. In 1992 and 1996, I led the successful efforts to place the LP's presidential ticket on the ballot in all 50 states and DC. This was the first time that a third party accomplished that in successive elections."

On the issues

Top priority: Redpath said in our questionnaire that entitlement reform is the most important issue facing the Senate. "The US will face a Federal debt crisis sometime in the future unless it addresses reform of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," he said, calling for "a combination of a benefit ceiling, raised retirement age, and indexing benefit growth to prices (not wages)."

Economy and cost of living: "Congress should eliminate not just Trump's tariffs, but all tariffs. Both economic theory and empirical research show that Americans pay over 90% of tariffs through higher prices. … I support a policy of unilateral free trade. … It is the real 'America First' policy."

Federal spending and taxes: Redpath said he supports eliminating the Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development and ending "all corporate welfare and farm subsidies." He said he favors replacing the Internal Revenue Code with "a Flat Tax of 20 percent on individual income combined with a generous family allowance to protect low income households."

Differences from opponents: "I will stand for both economic freedom and personal freedom to a far greater extent than the other candidates in this race. … The Republican Party says the Democratic Party will bring us socialism, but the Trump Administration has now had the Federal government make equity investments in at least 34 companies. I will work to reverse that and to make the Federal government far smaller and less costly."

Ohio's general election is Nov. 3.