Nationalists Adopt “Better Education, Better Economy” Platform

On Monday night at the 2026 Nationalist State Party Convention, in a remarkable victory for the advocates of technical education, a plank was introduced increasing funding for trade schools. The proposal, authored by Elijah Harriman, of Chapman City and the Nationalist State Party Secretary, was approved unanimously.

This new wave of Nationalist thinking has largely stemmed from growing concerns over the future of Rural Ohio. Still heavily reliant on the manufacturing industry, this investment in the countryside economy was championed by delegates who quickly adopted the motion.

Harriman, detailing this plank of his “honest economy and honest elections” plan at the Annual Meet the State Candidates Rally, promised to revitalise the flagging manufacturing industry which–according to a 2025 Ohio Manufacturers’ Association Report–is still responsible for 16.5% of Ohio’s 2025 GDP.

Kaine Colvard, a Nationalist nominee for State Supreme Court, largely echoed the overall consensus supporting the plank, saying, “I believe that [trade schools] are valuable to everyone here at Boys State.”

Yet, in forming the Nationalist Party Platform, a broader debate over the role of the government in education has persisted, with heated arguments in the Education Committee stalling the solidification of specific goals in any other sector.

The presentation and approval of such a position reflects the trend of a growing movement to increase access to and decrease costs of higher education, which is outlined in educator news site Education Next.

With the passing of a new agenda, Harriman promises to follow Alabama’s lead, which was able to revitalise its manufacturing sector following the implementation of pro-vocational policies.

Promising renewal of job creation, the secretary stated in interview that such a plan could generate “hundreds and thousands of…high paying factory, and typically union jobs.”