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One Year Later, Jon Husted Is Still Backing Reckless Tariffs That Are Crushing Ohio Families

COLUMBUS, OHIO — It has officially been one year since the introduction of reckless tariffs crushing Ohio farmers, small businesses, and families. Instead of standing up for Ohioans, Jon Husted has voted three separate times to block efforts to rein in the tariffs that are driving up costs and closing off markets.

Over the last year, the Husted-backed tariffs have wreaked havoc on Ohio farmers, shutting down key markets and sending input costs soaring. In 2025 alone, Ohio farmers saw a massive 74% loss in sales to China, while farm bankruptcies rose 46% nationwide. But despite the damage, Jon Husted continues to double down, arguing that critics “are wrong” about the tariffs, they “haven’t affected the economy negatively,” and “the policies are working.”

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“One year later, Jon Husted is still backing the reckless tariffs that are driving up costs and crushing Ohio farmers and small businesses. Now, working families and Ohio farmers are grappling with soaring gas and diesel prices, and they know they won’t get any support from Jon Husted, who thinks they don’t know how to navigate the ‘real world.’ Ohioans deserve better.” 

Jon Husted’s tariffs are driving up costs for Ohio families, farmers, and small businesses:

  • Jon Husted voted three separate times this year to block efforts reining in the reckless tariffs driving up costs and closing off markets.
  • Husted has backed the war in Iran, helping drive gas prices to nearly $4 a gallon and diesel prices even higher, adding more strain on Ohio farmers and families.
  • The Husted-backed tariffs are crushing Ohio family farms, threatening many with “risk of foreclosure and forced auction.”
  • Because of the Husted-backed tariffs sending costs soaring, some small businesses in Northeast Ohio may need to close. 
  • Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs said that farmers are taking major losses because of the Husted-backed tariffs — and it is putting them in a “hell of a mess.”
  • The Husted-backed tariffs are costing a Grove City manufacturer millions of dollars in business, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs. When the company reached out to Jon Husted, his only response was that he “passed along” the concern to the administration.

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NEW: Jon Husted Announces He Will Cut Ties With Pedophiles and Predators

APRIL FOOLS!

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a stunning update, Jon Husted has announced that he will finally stand with survivors and cut ties with pedophiles, predators, and some of the most disturbing figures in Ohio politics.

Of course, it is April Fools Day, so this is a joke.

In reality, Jon Husted is embracing all of these creeps more than ever, including proudly touting the endorsement of Ohio State Representative Rodney Creech, who has been accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor relative. And Husted has also taken more than $116,000 from Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner before voting against releasing the Epstein files. 

Husted is the only Senator up for re-election to take Wexner’s money, and has taken 10 times as much money from the Epstein co-conspirator as any other sitting Senator. Wexner’s name appears in the released Epstein files more than 4,000 times.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Unfortunately, it’s not a joke that Jon Husted keeps surrounding himself with some of the creepiest and most disturbing figures in Ohio politics, including a Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator and a lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor relative. Ohioans deserve answers about why Husted took over $116,000 from an Epstein co-conspirator, voted against releasing the Epstein files, and continues to embrace these deeply disturbing individuals.”

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Tribune Chronicle Editorial Board: Vivek Ramaswamy Digging Himself a Hole in Ohio 

Columbus, Ohio- The Tribune Chronicle editorial board called out Vivek Ramaswamy for his unpopular plan to consolidate Ohio’s colleges and universities and his claims that Ohioans are falling behind after more than a decade of Republican control in the statehouse. 

“Vivek Ramaswamy says Ohioans are falling behind, but completely ignores that his political allies, including his running mate, have had total control of Ohio’s government for well over a decade — using their power to put corporations and the ultrarich first and leaving Ohio families with a massive affordability crisis. Now even Governor DeWine says Ramaswamy’s plan to consolidate Ohio’s iconic colleges and universities is a bad idea,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans are ready for change, not a billionaire who calls us lazy, says Medicaid and Medicare were a mistake, and cooks up toxic new policy proposals from his private jet.”

READ MORE: Is Ramaswamy digging himself a hole in Ohio? 

  • Vivek Ramaswamy wants to be Ohio’s governor, but he’s finding that Ohio’s reliably red reputation isn’t giving the Republican much of a bump just yet. In fact, Youngstown native Amy Acton — who once led the Ohio Department of Health under current Gov. Mike DeWine — had a slight edge over Ramaswamy in a recent poll.
  • Ramaswamy has jumped on the affordability bandwagon with a commercial featuring his wife Apoorva, who talks of her husband’s plans to ensure that every Ohioan has a fair shot at a better life. But the ad appeared around the same time that Vivek Ramaswamy made comments about how Ohio has too many colleges and universities and could benefit from consolidation.
  • Acton and fellow Democrats saw an opportunity after Ramaswamy’s comments and a follow-up op-ed didn’t exactly roll back what he’d said about the state’s colleges and universities.
  • On Monday, DeWine made clear where he stands. “I’m not in favor of consolidating our colleges or doing away with any of our 14 public universities,” DeWine said. “It’s important to have them all over the state so frankly, people who can’t afford to live at the college and pay room and board, they can commute. We still have commuters.”
  • Even if we give Ramaswamy the benefit of the doubt and presume he was not talking about shutting down some colleges and instead just consolidating leadership positions in an effort to save money, the damage was likely done. Think about how many of us here in the Mahoning Valley either benefited from studies at Youngstown State University or have family and friends who did. Now — if you can imagine it — think of this region without YSU.
  • Now think about every part of Ohio and the colleges and universities that enrich thousands of lives across the state and you understand why Ramaswamy has some damage control to do.
  • In the commercial, Apoorva Ramaswamy spoke of her husband’s commitment to helping Ohio families, who she said “are working hard, but falling behind.” When you consider how long Ohio has been under virtually exclusive GOP control in Columbus, you wonder if that message is another that won’t land well across the state.
  • It seems as though just over a year into his campaign, Vivek Ramaswamy is dealing with two factors he hadn’t planned for — Trump fatigue and some self-inflicted wounds. It’s still early, but Ohio’s presumptive GOP gubernatorial candidate needs to regain his footing.

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BREAKING: Jon Husted Helps Corrupt FirstEnergy Executives Evade Justice As Additional Trials Loom

Husted testified for the defense in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history, was mentioned 386 times during the trial

Ohio families paying $663 more a year on utility bills thanks to Husted’s corruption

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Today, Jon Husted’s close allies responsible for the FirstEnergy bribery scheme, former executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling, escaped accountability with a hung jury — all thanks to Husted’s help.

Husted took the stand as a witness for the defense and spent his testimony trying to protect the corrupt FirstEnergy executives responsible for the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. But scrutiny around Husted’s central involvement in the bribery scandal is far from over as prosecutors are expected to retry the defendants.

Throughout the trial, Husted was mentioned 386 times as testimony made clear that he was at the center of the massive bribery scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year. When Husted was forced to answer questions under oath, his testimony only raised more questions about his own role in the scandal.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Jon Husted took the stand in the largest corruption trial in Ohio history for one reason: to defend his corrupt FirstEnergy allies and help them evade justice. Jon Husted sold Ohioans out to protect the masterminds of the bribery scheme. Because of Husted’s corruption, families across Ohio are paying hundreds of dollars more on their utility bills.”

As a reminder, Jon Husted played a central role “running the show” in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history alongside Dowling and Jones:

  • New evidence during the trial revealed nine calls between Jon Husted and Mike Dowling in the months preceding a $4.3 million bribe to former Utilities Commission Chair Sam Randazzo. 
  • New reporting revealed Jon Husted held secret meetings with Dowling and Jones, including with the “mastermind of Ohio’s largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced.”
  • Neil Clark, a FirstEnergy lobbyist and co-defendant with former House Speaker Larry Householder, referred to Husted as FirstEnergy’s “golden boy.”
  • Text messages between Husted, Dowling, and Jones reveal that the trio were in constant communication “before, during and after his campaign.” 
  • A dinner between Jon Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives at the Athletic Club of Columbus was a focal point of the criminal trial.
  • Public records show that FirstEnergy — led by Jones and Dowling — funneled $1 million in dark money to a dark money group backing Husted in 2017, part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal and state indictments.

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Mike DeWine to Vivek Ramaswamy: Shut Up

Columbus, Ohio- Once again, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine has rejected a Vivek Ramaswamy campaign proposal. This time, DeWine slammed Ramaswamy’s plan to close Ohio colleges and universities.

READ: Gov. DeWine rejects consolidating Ohio universities, as concerns that could happen circulate

  • A video posted on social media by the leading Republican candidate for governor on his ideas to deal with college costs has raised fears that he’d want to shut down some Ohio universities that are struggling with financial issues and lower enrollment. But the Republican who Vivek Ramaswamy is hoping to succeed said that’s a scenario he doesn’t want to see.
  • Ramaswamy wrote an op-ed that was published to his website and in Ohio’s Gannett newspapers on Friday, in which he restated the position from the video shared on Threads. In that video from March 13, he said Ohio has too many universities and “they need to be consolidated.” That idea has brought a blast of criticism from his likely Democratic opponent Dr. Amy Acton, as well as officials in communities where those universities are located.
  • “I’m not in favor of consolidating our colleges or doing away with any of our 14 public universities,” DeWine said to reporters Monday. “It’s important to have them all over the state so frankly, people who can’t afford to live at the college and pay room and board, they can commute. We still have commuters.”
  • DeWine said he’d like to see stronger ties between institutions so students can easily move from community colleges to four-year universities. Ramaswamy wrote in his op-ed he’d want universities with lower enrollment to become so-called “specialized centers of excellence” to cut down on, in his words, bloated bureaucracies and administrative duplication.
  • Ramaswamy specifically mentions issues at Cleveland State, the University of Akron, Kent State and Central State, which has raised concerns among some that they could be targeted for closure.

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