I'm Cortney Peterson — a nurse, a mother, and a community member who has spent years watching the people I care for make impossible choices. Healthcare or rent. Medication or groceries. Staying in a job they hate because they can't afford to lose the insurance.
I decided I was done waiting for someone else to fix it. Today, I'm officially running for Ohio's 11th Congressional District as an independent candidate. We need 2,200 signatures by May 4th to get on the November general election ballot.
Why I'm Running
I've worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse for over 12 years. I've been at the bedside when patients couldn't afford their care. I've watched the system eat people alive — not because there wasn't enough money, but because the money was going to the wrong places. To insurance companies. To lobbyists. To elected officials who take their checks and call it "the system."
I'm not running because I think politics is exciting. I'm running because what's happening to working families in OH-11 is not acceptable, and the people currently in Congress have decided it's not their problem.
"I'm not a politician. I'm a policymaker. There's a difference — one works for donors, and the other works for you." — Cortney Peterson
What This Campaign Is About
I'm running on a platform that starts with a simple question: who does Congress actually work for? Not for working families. Not for nurses who can't afford their own healthcare. Not for parents choosing between daycare and their jobs. It works for the donor class — and I intend to change that.
- Medicare for All — healthcare is a right, not a product
- Tax the wealthy — billionaires shouldn't pay less than nurses
- End corporate influence — Congress should work for people, not PACs
- Reproductive freedom — government has no business in medical decisions
- Green New Deal — good jobs and a livable planet aren't opposites
- Affordable housing and livable wages — work should pay enough to live
You can read my full platform at issues.html. I didn't write it with consultants. I wrote it by thinking about the patients I've cared for and the families I know.
One Thing I Won't Do
I will not take corporate PAC money. I will not take foreign PAC money. Every other candidate in this race does. I don't. That's not a talking point — it's a choice that changes who you answer to when you get to Washington.
I will answer to you.
How You Can Help Right Now
The signature deadline is May 4, 2026. That's not far away. Here's what we need most:
- Volunteer — canvass, phone bank, host a house party
- Donate — even $5 or $10 makes a real difference for a grassroots campaign
- Talk to your neighbors — tell them why you're supporting this campaign
- Volunteer with us — every hand makes a difference
This campaign belongs to the people in it. That means you. Welcome to the movement.