Ohio — 7th District

SOLON, Ohio — Solon attorney Michael Eisner says the same concerns keep coming up as he talks with voters across Northeast Ohio: healthcare costs, rising prices and the feeling that working families are falling behind.

Those concerns are what pushed him to run for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District seat.

Eisner, 57, is a longtime civil rights and personal injury attorney and cancer survivor who said his personal and professional experiences shaped his decision to seek office.

He is running in the May 5 Democratic primary for the seat currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller of Bay Village. The general election is Nov. 3.

Eisner is one of several Democrats seeking the nomination, alongside Brook Park City Councilman Brian Poindexter, former Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald and former Bay Village Board of Education president Scott Schultz.

A Cleveland native who grew up in the east-side suburbs and graduated from West Geauga High School, Eisner has spent more than three decades practicing law in Northeast Ohio.

Eisner said his decades-long legal career advocating for clients in civil rights and personal injury cases, often taking on powerful institutions, guides the approach he says he would bring to Congress.

“I’ve spent over 30 years as a civil rights and personal injury attorney, representing people who’ve been wronged by those in positions of power,” Eisner said. “My career as a lawyer taught me to fight for individual rights and safety. That experience shaped my sense of empathy and purpose — and it’s what I’ll bring to Congress and the people of District 7.”

Eisner said he decided to run after watching what he described as growing inequities in the healthcare system and broader economic challenges facing families.

“I’m running for Congress because we’re living in a historical moment unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetime,” he said. “I raised my kids to stand up when they witness injustice — so I’m leading by example now.”

He said his experience navigating cancer treatment and insurance coverage gave him a personal understanding of the system’s shortcomings.

“I’ve experienced firsthand how broken our healthcare system is,” he said. “As a cancer survivor, I know what it’s like to battle insurance companies while fighting for your life.”

The 7th Congressional District includes southern and western Cuyahoga County, northern Wayne County and all of Medina and Ashland counties. Miller won re-election in 2024 with just over 50 percent of the vote.

Eisner said voters across the district consistently raise concerns about affordability, from housing and healthcare to wages and job stability.

“Families in OH-7 are facing an affordability crisis: healthcare costs continue to rise; tariffs are driving up prices; housing is out of reach; good-paying jobs are harder to find; workers are losing protections,” he said. “People are drowning in debt just trying to live a reasonable life in America.”

If elected, Eisner said his top legislative priority would be healthcare, including strengthening the Affordable Care Act and creating a public insurance option to compete with private plans.

He said the federal government has a responsibility to ensure people can access and afford care.

“The federal government’s role is to ensure no American goes bankrupt because they got sick,” he said. “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.”

He also pointed to policies focused on lowering costs for families, supporting organized labor and strengthening Social Security and Medicare.

“In practical terms, it means restoring dignity and respect for workers and families through policies that actually help them, not just the wealthy,” Eisner said. “It means affordable childcare so parents can work without their entire paycheck going to daycare. It means strengthening Social Security and Medicare so people can retire with dignity after a lifetime of work.”

Eisner said he would push to bring federal resources back to communities such as Solon for infrastructure, schools and small business support, while also increasing oversight of corporations and federal agencies.

He said he believes local communities should have a stronger voice in Washington.

“I’ll fight to bring resources back to communities like Solon — infrastructure funding, support for public schools, policies that help small businesses thrive,” he said. “I’ll make sure their voices are heard in DC, not drowned out by corporate lobbyists.”

Eisner pointed to his legal career and time working for former U.S. Sen. Howard Metzenbaum as experience that distinguishes him from other candidates in the race.

“I worked for Senator Metzenbaum on Capitol Hill, where I learned how to build coalitions, find common ground and get things done,” he said. “As a lawyer for over 30 years, I’ve represented people wronged by those in positions of power — veterans, workers, families fighting insurance companies. I know how to fight for people when the system fails them.”

He said accessibility and regular communication with constituents would be central to his approach in Congress.

“I’ll hold regular town halls where everyone can ask tough questions and get real answers, not talking points,” Eisner said.

Looking ahead, Eisner said he wants voters to see tangible progress, even as larger national challenges take time to address.

“I won’t offer you pie-in-the-sky promises,” he said. “What I will offer is honest representation, relentless advocacy and a commitment to making progress even when it’s hard.”