Mike Carey was raised on a family farm in Sabina, Ohio, which he credits for instilling in him the values of hard work and community. He earned his history degree from The Ohio State University and followed family tradition by serving as a military officer before spending more than two decades as an advocate for coal miners. Now, he is a Republican Congressman who represents Ohio’s 15th district, which includes Madison County and parts of Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Miami and Shelby counties. An avid supporter of the humanities, he co-chairs the Congressional Humanities Caucus. He is a husband and father of three who lives in Columbus and is passionate about history, music, faith, family and the Buckeyes. “I like to think I’m a good Catholic,” he said. “But I’m probably a better Buckeye fan.”

What lights you up?  

I’m a big history nut. I love Ohio history, American history, world history. So anything historical. Classical music. I like jazz. The Beatles – and John Lennon’s solo career. Crosby, Stills & Nash.

What frustrates you?  

From the perspective of being in Congress, I get frustrated with members who come to Congress who don’t want to legislate – who don’t want to work across the aisle to get things done.

What makes you laugh?  

I think the hardest I’ve laughed in the last two years is listening to my middle son, who is 5, talk to my 2-year-old. We took them to a monster truck rally, because my 2-year-old likes monster trucks. He just kept saying, “Monster trucks loud! Monster trucks loud!” He couldn’t go in; he was crying. The 5-year-old was like, “Miles, we came here for you. We’re doing this for you, buddy.”

What professional mission are you on?  

I’d like to bring a level of civility back to the nation’s capital. And I want to preserve our small towns but also make sure we don’t hollow out our cities. So I want to work on issues that affect housing. Columbus is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., and I’d like to try to make sure we can make housing affordable to the folks relocating to Central Ohio.

Why is human connection so important?  

I think it’s the only connection. Last night, I had a bipartisan dinner. We sat down. I’m a firm believer that we can agree to disagree, but we don’t have to be disagreeable.

What is a memorable moment from your childhood?  

My mother packing up our Saab in 1981 and moving from Cincinnati to Sabina. It was an hour car ride but a life-changing experience for me. To move from downtown Cincinnati to a 500-acre farm was completely different. I was 10. All of a sudden, I was taking farm animals to the county fair. I played pee wee football. I became the captain of the football team at my high school. I live in downtown Columbus now, but I appreciate the country. And I still love going to the county fairs. I still love participating in agricultural forums. It just gave me an interesting perspective. It opened my mind in many ways to how most people live in this country.

Who made a powerful mark on your life, and how?  

My stepdad. He was a farmer. Good guy. That’s where the Carey comes from in my name. If I was five minutes late coming home on a curfew, he was the first to meet me at the door. He had me do things on the farm – taught me about hard work and being focused on getting the job done. But he was also, along with my mom, probably the biggest advocate for me to stay in piano lessons and acting lessons and do plays.

Which project or work are you most passionate about, and why?  

Historic preservation. I think it’s important to understand our past, because if we don’t understand our past, it’s hard to dictate where we’re going to go in the future. So preserving the structures and preserving history – whether it’s written or oral – is important for future generations.

“I’m a firm believer that we can agree to disagree, but we don’t have to be disagreeable.”

Mike Carey

Who do you love to learn from? 

I’ve read a lot of books over the years. One I’ll share is Democracy in America by (Frenchman) Alexis de Tocqueville. He wrote that the beauty of this country wasn’t the agencies; it wasn’t the government. It was just the nature of the people of this country. It’s the charities, the things we do to help our fellow man. That was uniquely American to him. It wasn’t the government interfering; it was the people understanding the freedoms we have.

Why do you love Ohio?  

What’s not to love? I mean, we’ve got everything. We’ve got beautiful rivers. We have a beautiful lake. Wonderful cities. Small towns that dot every part of the state. We’ve got a wonderful immigrant community. My family is part Italian; they came to Cleveland. I think that’s the beauty of Ohio: It’s a place where people can afford to follow their dreams. We have wonderful sports teams. If you’re an outdoorsman, there’s plenty of facilities. We’ve got great parks and recreation. Our motto’s “The heart of it all,” and we truly are.

What are you certain is true?  

The love of a child.

If there is a single mission you could mobilize people around, what would it be?  

From the standpoint of being in Congress, it’s civility. No one party has a monopoly on good ideas. And it’s very easy to find people on both sides of the aisle that will shout at the rain all day, but it’s harder to reach across party lines and find something that works for all the American people. I think that’s what we as legislators have to do.

If people defined you with one word, what do you hope it is?  

Genuine.