Political speech, timestamped and in context

Jon Husted: “The unemployment rate was so high and there was no place to go to work, and they had to leave.”

Featuring: Jon Husted, Republican | Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

'Your Freedom And Your Future Are On The Ballot': Jon Husted Rips Dems, Urges Voters To Back GOP

Published October 4, 2026

The factory my dad worked at closed, and I worked third shift there the summer before to save money for college. And my family had to leave Ohio because The unemployment rate was so high and there was no place to go to work, and they had to leave. And that hurt. It's hard to lose your family when they have to move to find work. And I resolved. I remember this. I remember distinctly, because there's hard times in Dayton. (03:44–03:49)

STATEMENT

Asserts that high unemployment in Ohio forced families, including his own, to leave the state.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

See the main statements from Jon Husted in this video

“In the early 1990s, we had five GM Delphi plants here, and by the end of the decade, four of them were closed.”
Asserts that four out of five GM Delphi plants in Dayton, Ohio, closed by the end of the 1990s.04:07-04:14
“We went from the 34th worst state in the country to do business to recently we were rated the number one state in the country to do business.”
Asserts that Ohio improved its business environment ranking from 34th worst to number one.05:15-05:23
“He [Sherrod Brown] joined Joe Biden in the open border policy that allowed 15 million people to illegally come in this country.”
Asserts that Sherrod Brown supported an open border policy allowing 15 million illegal entries.05:48-07:15
“We now have the most jobs and the lowest unemployment rate we've ever had in the history of Ohio.”
Asserts that Ohio currently has the highest number of jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in its history.05:56-06:03
“Ohio had some hard times around the time I graduated high school. The factory my dad worked at closed.”
Asserts that Ohio experienced economic difficulties, including factory closures, during his high school years.03:28-03:37
“Ohio was not a very good place to do business. The people who had run the state had run it into the ground.”
Asserts that Ohio was previously considered a poor business environment due to mismanagement.04:53-04:59
“He [Sherrod Brown] gave them [illegal immigrants] your Social Security money and free health care and Covid checks.”
Asserts that Sherrod Brown provided Social Security, healthcare, and Covid checks to illegal immigrants.05:48-07:31
“He [Sherrod Brown] created sanctuary cities and sanctuary states for them [illegal immigrants].”
Asserts that Sherrod Brown established sanctuary cities and states for illegal immigrants.05:48-05:49
“Sherrod Brown closed power plants and refineries, driving up energy prices.”
Asserts that Sherrod Brown's actions led to the closure of power plants and refineries, increasing energy prices.06:54-06:58
“He voted in for the Unaffordable Care act, which rose, which increased your insurance prices.”
Asserts that Sherrod Brown voted for the Affordable Care Act, which allegedly increased insurance prices.06:57-07:03
“Recently three Ohioans were killed by people who are in this country illegally driving on our roads.”
Asserts that three Ohioans were killed by illegal immigrants driving.07:42-07:51
“One of them [illegal immigrants] got a driver's license from a sanctuary state and they killed a local Ohioan.”
Asserts that an illegal immigrant with a sanctuary state driver's license killed an Ohioan.07:52-07:58