Welcome back to American Motherhood, where we explore how society and politics shape motherhood in America. In this special episode, we wrap up the Westerville local election series with two familiar voices: Kelley Stocker, candidate for Westerville City Council, and Tatjana Brown, candidate for Westerville City School Board of Education. We step back to consider what it means to serve the city, and how we as voters can recognize the leadership qualities that matter most in our community.

Thank you to all the candidates who helped make this election more accessible and transparent, and to everyone who’s followed the series for choosing to be informed voters. Together, we’re building a future rooted in equality, understanding, and hope - for our kids and for each other.

Reach me anytime at americanmotherhood@gmail.com.

Our final candidate for Westerville School Board of Education, Nafisa Jamale, was hopeful to participate but we unfortunately weren’t able to connect for an interview. I encourage you to learn more about her at njamale.com or by watching the 2025 Westerville Board of Education Candidate Forum.

In this episode of American Motherhood, we continue our Westerville local election series with our ninth candidate for City Council, John Gatiss. John describes himself as an activist, advocate, and community leader. We discuss how he hopes to balance growth with sustainability and the creative solutions he proposes to address rising costs. He also shares his perspective on transparency in local government, climate action, and community safety.

This local election series is designed to make city government more accessible to you, the voters. If you find this conversation helpful, please share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe to American Motherhood on your favorite podcast app. You can always reach me at AmericanMotherhood@gmail.com if you’d like to join the conversation.

Find John online at GatissforWesterville.com, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or email him directly at info@gatissforwesterville.com.

Today we continue our local election series with Westerville City Council candidate, Matt Erney.

Matt is a husband, father of four, and longtime Westerville resident who built a career through owning two small local businesses. On the campaign trail, he’s emphasized keeping national politics out of local decisions, while focusing on families, safety, and fiscal responsibility.

In this episode, we talk about how Matt’s background shapes his vision for Westerville, what he’s learned from first responders, and how he sees City Council’s role in preserving both affordability and community values. We also dig into topics like utilities, the proposed earned income tax for Westerville City Schools, and what protecting religious freedom means in a diverse and growing city.

Find Matt on MattErney.com, Facebook, or email him directly at friendsoferney@gmail.com.

As mentioned in the episode: WOSU: Westerville to vote on conversation therapy ban for minors.