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Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde Issues Statement on Passage of Anti-Voter Legislation

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde issued the following statement on Ohio Republicans’ rushed and harmful legislation that will disenfranchise eligible Ohio voters:

“While Ohio’s elections are safe and secure, let’s be clear what this push is really about: a partisan power grab by Republican politicians who are so desperate to cling to power that they are willing to make it harder for eligible voters to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Ohio’s elections are free from widespread fraud, with Republican leaders themselves praising them as the ‘gold standard.’

“Ohio Democrats are committed to safeguarding Ohio’s elections while ensuring every eligible Ohioan can cast a ballot free from unnecessary barriers. Instead of wasting time on legislation aimed at solving a problem that does not exist, Ohio Republicans should focus on lowering costs and addressing the real challenges facing Ohio families.”

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Thanks to Husted-Backed War, Inflation Soared to Highest Rate in Years

REPORTING: Inflation hits 4.2% in May, highest in over 3 years as energy prices soar

COLUMBUS, OHIO — New data today shows that the Jon Husted-backed war in Iran has sent inflation surging to the highest level in years, with CNBC reporting that “rising energy costs [have] contributed to pain for consumers.”

Despite the pain that Ohioans are feeling, Jon Husted has dismissed their concerns: 

  • Jon Husted has voted eight times to continue the war in Iran while costs continue to skyrocket.
  • When a truck driver asked about soaring diesel costs, Husted brushed him off and responded by asking if he was comfortable with Iran being a nuclear power. 
  • When asked about the pain that Ohio families are feeling at the pump, Jon Husted’s campaign “declined to comment.”

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

“Thanks to Jon Husted, inflation has soared to the highest levels in years and Ohioans are getting crushed by rising energy and food prices. Instead of fighting to lower costs for Ohio families, all Jon Husted cares about is sending more money for war overseas while lecturing hardworking Ohioans to work harder and earn more money.”

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ICYMI: Cook Political Report: “Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans”

COLUMBUS, OH – With Donald Trump’s disastrous economic policies – like the tariffs that are raising the price of goods, the reckless war with Iran that is raising gas prices, and the healthcare cuts that are ripping care away from Ohio families and putting hospitals at risk – new polling could indicate that “his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing states and districts.” As the Cook Political Report emphasizes, this new Fox News poll “is the first to make clear that, with his many controversial moves, Trump may have politically ‘jumped the shark.’”

“While Donald Trump campaigned on the promise to lower costs ‘on day one,’ his devastating economic policies like his tariffs, reckless war with Iran, and healthcare cuts are doing the opposite – and Ohio Republicans up and down the ballot are now left to own the ways that these policies are raising costs and devastating Ohio families of all political backgrounds,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “As Ohio Republicans are on defense doing backflips to try to justify their party’s extreme and unpopular economic agenda, Ohio Democrats will continue to connect with Ohioans of all political backgrounds to share their winning message to lower costs and get our state back on track in November.”

Read more from the Cook Political Report about how this new polling suggests “far greater danger for Republicans in November than was previously evident.”

Cook Political Report: Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans

  • A Fox News poll of 1,015 registered voters in Ohio, released on Thursday, could well be the canary in the midterm coal mine, suggesting far greater danger for Republicans in November than was previously evident. The analysis by Dana Blanton, who heads the Fox polling unit, as well as the poll’s topline results and crosstabs, are all worth reading. When reading the numbers that follow, you should know that unreleased, private, high-quality polls conducted for both sides show similar results; this poll is not an outlier. And while Fox News has its fans and detractors, its polling is first-rate.
  • In the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial race matchups, the Fox News survey showed Democrats more unified behind their nominees, but importantly, running much stronger among independents. Democratic voters also placed greater emphasis on their party winning a Senate majority than Republicans did, usually a sign of a likely turnout disparity. Favorability ratings, not just for the Republican Senate and gubernatorial nominees, but for term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, Trump, and native son Vice President J.D. Vance, were lower than one might have expected, more evidence of problems for Republicans. Underwhelming numbers for Republicans in Ohio suggest that other GOP-leaning states could face similar problems.
  • The poll showed former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leading Sen. Jon Husted by 8 points, 53 to 45 percent. Brown was first elected to the Senate in 2006, President George W. Bush’s second-term midterm election, a tough year for the GOP. He was reelected in 2012 and 2018 before losing his bid for a third term in 2024 to Bernie Moreno, a wealthy automobile dealer.
  • In the Fox poll, Brown led Husted among fellow Democrats, 98 percent to 2 percent. Husted led among Republicans, 86 to 13 percent, with independents giving Brown an 18-point lead, 53 to 35 percent.
  • The gubernatorial race is effectively tied. Amy Acton, who ran the state Department of Health during the COVID pandemic and is now the Democratic nominee, ran ahead of technology entrepreneur and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy by 1 point, 50 to 49 percent. Acton prevails among Democrats, 93 to 7 percent, while Ramaswamy wins among Republicans, 89 to 10 percent. Independents give Acton an 8-point edge, 51 to 43 percent.
  • The favorability ratings are instructive. In the Fox News 2024 Election Voter Analysis poll (what we used to call exit polls) in Ohio, Trump was at 52 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable for a net + 6; in this new survey, he is at 42 percent favorable and 57 percent unfavorable, a net -15. In 2024, Vance was at 48 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable, for a net +5; now it’s 45 percent favorable and 52 percent unfavorable, for a net -7. DeWine won reelection in 2022 with 62 percent of the vote and in 2024 was at 53 percent favorable and 41 percent unfavorable, for a net +12; now it’s dead even at 48-48. Husted is at 41 percent favorable and 50 percent unfavorable, for a net -9.
  • While Trump’s national numbers have been bad for some time, until now there haven’t been many indications that his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing states and districts. The recipe for midterm disaster has long been diminished enthusiasm among those in a president’s party, a hyper-energized opposition-party base, and true independents moving disproportionately against candidates of the incumbent’s party. This Fox poll is the first to make clear that, with his many controversial moves, Trump may have politically “jumped the shark.”
  • While Trump’s problems will simply knock a few points off of the victory margins for most Republicans in ruby-red, solidly Republican states and districts, they threaten to put those GOP candidates with constituencies closer to the edge into untenable positions.

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Vivek Ramaswamy’s Running Mate Stalled Ban on Child Marriage 

“The bill stalled because Senate President Rob McColley gave in to that sentiment”

Columbus, Ohio- Reporting from WKRC Local 12 revealed Vivek Ramaswamy’s running mate, Senate President Rob McColley, held up a vote on a ban on child marriage in Ohio. 

Republican State Senator Bill Blessing, a member of McColley’s own party, said the bill stalled because McColley “gave in” to arguments against the bill. Previously, McColley told the Columbus Dispatch that banning child marriage required “further exploration.”

McColley obstructing a ban on child marriage is the latest in a disturbing pattern from Ramaswamy and members of his team. During Ramaswamy’s presidential campaign, he claimed to be the “first and most vocal proponent of releasing all Epstein related documents” and said he would release the client list “without exception.” Ramaswamy also proudly touted endorsements from two state lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct and then scrambled to scrub his campaign website after the fact. One of the endorsements was added back to Ramaswamy’s website within hours of removal.  

“No wonder Ohio families don’t trust Vivek Ramaswamy; his running mate and current President of the Ohio Senate is busy stalling a ban on child marriage and saying this is an issue that requires ‘further exploration,’ while Ramaswamy himself accepts endorsements from politicians accused of being sexual predators and refuses to return a $100,000 donation from an Epstein associate,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Vivek Ramaswamy won’t keep Ohio’s children safe.”

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HUSTED TRIAL TRACKER: As New Trial Looms, Jon Husted’s Central Role In The Largest Bribery Scandal in Ohio History Comes Under Even More Scrutiny

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

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In case you missed it, Jon Husted’s corrupt donors were reindicted with new criminal charges in the FirstEnergy bribery scheme — the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history. The widened scope of the reindictment will call Jon Husted’s central role in the bribery scandal into further question.

As a reminder, Jon Husted remains at the center of the massive scandal, with recent reporting from the Associated Press revealing Husted’s ties to be much deeper than previously known:

  • When Husted was forced to testify, his testimony showed discrepancies from public documents and reporting, only raising more questions. 
  • Husted’s FirstEnergy nightmare isn’t going away anytime soon, with the new trial set to begin September 18, 2026.
  • The massive FirstEnergy bribery scheme that Jon Husted championed delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year. 

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

“Ohioans are calling on Jon Husted to come clean about his central role in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history that’s costing families thousands of dollars more on their utility bills. It seems every week more details come to light about Jon Husted’s deep ties to this massive corruption scheme. Ohioans deserve accountability and answers about how deep his involvement goes.”

READ MORE: 

Cleveland.com: New charges against ex-FirstEnergy executives could reshape second corruption trial

  • New criminal charges filed this week against two former FirstEnergy executives could dramatically change how prosecutors present one of Ohio’s largest public corruption scandals in an expected second trial.
  • Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and the utility giant’s former top lobbyist, Michael Dowling, still face accusations that they bribed Sam Randazzo just before he became chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
  • But a new indictment unsealed Thursday broadens the case, accusing the pair of participating in a wider scheme that also involved former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and the passage of the scandal-ridden House Bill 6, which gave FirstEnergy a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout of two failing nuclear plants.
  • The indictment says Jones and Dowling learned during a late-2018 dinner with incoming Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted that Randazzo was being considered to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

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