DARKE COUNTY — U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson urged Republicans to remain engaged in the November election, telling more than 400 people attending the Darke County Republican Hog Roast that protecting constitutional freedoms requires sustained involvement at the ballot box.
Davidson, who is seeking re-election to represent Ohio’s 8th Congressional District, used his remarks to discuss gun rights, government accountability, and the importance of electing Republicans throughout the ticket.
“We’re at a point right now in our country. We have to hold the line right now so that we can carry the day,” Davidson said. “So don’t lose faith. Fight the battle we’re in right now, not necessarily the one we wish we were in.”
The Oct. 18 gathering brought Republican candidates and officeholders to the Darke County Fairgrounds, where Davidson paired a defense of his party’s priorities with an appeal for volunteers and voters to support its statewide candidates.
His message extended beyond his own congressional campaign. Davidson encouraged those attending to help elect Jon Husted to the U.S. Senate and Vivek Ramaswamy as Ohio governor, arguing that success at the top of the ticket could help other Republican candidates.
Davidson has represented the 8th District since 2016, when he won a special election after former House Speaker John Boehner resigned. Before entering Congress, he served in the Army, worked in manufacturing, and served in local government.
He chairs the House Financial Services Committee’s National Security and Illicit Finance Subcommittee and also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Born and raised in Ohio, Davidson enlisted in the Army after high school, then earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He later served as an infantry officer with The Old Guard, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the 101st Airborne Division.
After leaving the Army, he earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and spent 15 years starting, acquiring, and growing manufacturing companies in Ohio.
Davidson and his wife, Lisa, have two adult children.
During his speech, Davidson organized much of his discussion around four “boxes” he associated with preserving freedom: the soapbox, jury box, ballot box, and cartridge box.
He attributed the framework to abolitionist Frederick Douglass and used it to connect free expression, the justice system, elections, and the right to bear arms.
“We’re using the soapbox here today,” Davidson said.
He broadened the discussion to include First Amendment protections for religious liberty, assembly, and petitioning the government, describing those rights as essential to the country.
Turning to the jury box, Davidson said questions about accountability remain among the most frequent concerns he hears from constituents.
He called for criminal consequences for former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of failing to secure the border. Davidson also voiced support for imprisoning former federal health official Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Those comments called for prosecution, not announced charges. Davidson did not identify specific criminal statutes or present evidence establishing criminal wrongdoing by either man during the remarks.
He also said fraud investigations offered an area where people could find common ground, generally pointing to prosecutions, including cases in Ohio.
Davidson next turned to elections, arguing that voter identification and accurate voter rolls are necessary to maintain confidence in the ballot box.
“You got to have an honest election,” he said.
He criticized Democrats over election policies, free speech and the administration of justice. He framed those disputes as part of a broader struggle over constitutional protections.
The fourth box in his framework — the cartridge box — led into his discussion of the Second Amendment.
Davidson said armed conflict was an outcome he hoped the country would avoid.
“God forbid that it should come to that in our country,” he said.
He then highlighted changes to federal firearm taxes, praising provisions in the Republican tax-and-spending legislation he called the “big, beautiful bill.”
“Not only did we address affordability, we addressed freedom,” Davidson said.
He pointed specifically to the elimination of the $200 federal tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns, describing the changes as progress for gun owners.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Oct. 9 that, following a court ruling, it would no longer enforce certain National Firearms Act approval, registration, and tax-stamp requirements for those items. The agency said the $200 tax remained applicable to machine guns and destructive devices.
Davidson connected his views on freedom to his military experience, recalling being in Germany in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell.
He told the audience he broke pieces from the wall and met people experiencing their first hours of freedom.
The recollection became the foundation for his criticism of socialism and of members of Congress who identify as socialists. Davidson argued that Americans should take seriously the possibility that freedoms can be lost within a generation.
His remarks then shifted toward Ohio’s statewide races.
Davidson urged support for Husted against Democrat Sherrod Brown, pointing to Republican Bernie Moreno’s defeat of Brown two years earlier.
“We have to make sure Sherrod Brown was fired on purpose,” Davidson said.
In the governor’s race, Davidson enthusiastically endorsed Ramaswamy while sharply criticizing Democrat Amy Acton and her work as Ohio’s health director during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Davidson said he had opposed Gov. Mike DeWine’s pandemic policies and questioned the advice Acton provided during that period.
He contrasted Ohio’s approach with Florida’s, recalling a conversation with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about that state’s policies and health leadership.
Davidson’s comparison reflected his argument that Ohio should have emphasized individual freedom and limited government more during the pandemic.
He described Ramaswamy as someone capable of bringing substantial change to state government.
“We have a choice between Vivek Ramaswamy, who I think is going to be a transformative, truly conservative governor,” Davidson said, before contrasting him with Acton.
As he concluded, Davidson returned to the practical work of campaigning, asking the crowd to turn its support into assistance for Republican candidates.
“Can you guys go out and help me win for these two guys at the top of the ticket statewide?” he asked.
He said those efforts could carry through to other races before thanking the candidates who traveled to the event and the Darke County residents who hosted them.
“Thanks for the people here in Darke County for being great hosts and having us today,” Davidson said. “God bless you all.”
