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Columbus, OH — Today, Josh Mandel once again showed there’s no low he won’t stoop to, as he shared the same stage as Matt Gaetz, even as other Republican candidates backed out of the Strongsville GOP event amid serious federal allegations against Gaetz. Federal law enforcement officials are looking into allegations that Gaetz engaged in sex trafficking, prostitution, public corruption and sex with a minor.

“Josh Mandel stood on a stage in Strongsville and had harsher words for Mike DeWine than he did for Matt Gaetz. That says a lot about Josh Mandel and what he really stands for. Josh is always looking out for himself and there’s no line he won’t cross to promote his own interests,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Mandel also continued to employ dangerous rhetoric as he went after a member of the Ohio press corps and made the audience aware multiple times that the reporter was in the audience. This comes after Josh tweeted a photo of himself at a gun store with the caption ‘hunting RINOs.’

The event showed just how deep the divisions in the GOP run, as speakers spent most of their time going after fellow Republicans, including Anthony Gonzalez, Mike DeWine and Frank LaRose as Republicans remain in deep disarray about the future of the party.

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Columbus, OH — Today, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and state parties, including the Ohio Democratic Party, announced a historic four-year agreement that will guarantee more investment into Democratic state parties and grassroots infrastructure than ever before. At a minimum, this investment will provide $23 million to state parties as part of Democrats’ 2022 midterm strategy, and creates a first-of-its-kind program to focus additional investments in historically red states to build on Democrats’ 57 states and territories strategy.

The agreement will establish a brand-new, seven-figure “Red State Fund” to put Republicans on defense and build tailored programs for traditionally Republican states. The Red State Fund includes $2 million in direct investments and grants for states that meet two of the following criteria: no Democratic senator or governor, less than 25% of the congressional delegation are Democrats, and a supermajority of Republicans in their state legislature.

The contract also includes a data sharing agreement that increases investment in down-ballot races, solidifies another four years of historic investment in Democratic data, and anchors the DNC and state parties as the central hub of the Democratic data ecosystem.

“This critical investment will help us hold Republicans accountable, take our case directly to Ohio voters and invest in key races for Democrats across the state,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters.

Additional investments in the agreement include:

• $15.5 Million for State Partnership Program (SPP): The new agreement increases monthly SPP funding for 50 state parties and DC by 25% to fund critical party infrastructure including staff, tools, and programming in the states.
• $5.5 Million for State Party Innovation Fund Grants: These grants will ensure innovation and early organizing by putting more boots on the ground throughout the country to help elect Democrats up and down the ticket in 2022. The program includes $5 million in funding for all 50 state parties plus the District of Columbia, along with an additional $500,000 for Dems Abroad and the territories. These competitive grants will primarily be used to hire staff in state to develop and implement innovative programs tailored for each state.
• Reestablishes the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund: The agreement is contingent on the Democratic state parties rejoining the joint fundraising agreement that propelled the DNC to record-breaking major donor fundraising over the last four years, and allows the DNC to collect up to $875,000 per individual per year.

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Tweet thread by NBC News’ Henry Gomez can be found HERE

Columbus, OH — Today, Big Tech’s favorite candidate J.D. Vance came out with a campaign strategy that’s never been tried in Ohio: fighting for Michigan first. The tech blunder occurred as Vance was using old web templates from a former state rep candidate, the kind of mistake that apparently even $10 million from Big Tech Billionaire Peter Theil can’t fix.

The pro-Michigan flub follows Vance’s long-winded rant against help for working Ohioans who are struggling to pay for child care, unable to understand why they too can’t turn to their billionaire Big Tech donors, as he always has. Calling universal day care ‘class war against normal people,’ Vance continues to show just how out of touch he really is with the needs of working Ohioans.

“So far, J.D. Vance is marketing himself as the Pro-Michigan, Big Tech and Anti-Child Care candidate. It may be a good strategy among Peter Theil and Big Tech billionaires, but it’s not a good way to win votes in Ohio,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

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Columbus, OH — Today, the Ohio Democratic Party hosted a virtual press conference as Ohioans speak out against anti-protest legislation being pushed through the legislature by Ohio Republicans. GOP politicians have introduced a number of bills that would chip away at one of Ohioans’ most fundamental rights: the right to free speech.

“When I was on the campaign trail, I definitely did not think Ohio would try to make it a crime to protest — something as American as apple pie — but that is exactly what is happening right now at the Statehouse,” said State Representative Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland).

“The right of assembly and free speech is guaranteed in our Constitution. In the history of America — all social justice issues have found their beginnings in the streets and today we see protests playing a critical role in the fight for racial justice. But right now, statehouse Republicans are playing politics with Ohioans’ right to protest,” said State Representative David Leland (D-Columbus).

“These regressive measures will only create more low-level felons. This is a solution looking for a problem. Citizens should always have the right to respectfully question and challenge actions that are excessive and abusive. Lawmakers must cease and desist attempts to strip away rights that are protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution,” said Cincinnati NAACP President Joe Mallory.

Legislation proposed by Ohio Republicans would:

• Create new crimes and penalties for Ohioans who are protesting, using broad language to define what constitutes a crime.
• Make Ohio organizations financially responsible for ‘providing support’ to a protest in which any damage occurs, even if that damage is temporary or independent of the organized protest.
• Add unnecessary burdens onto Ohioans and Ohio organizations who want to exercise their right to free speech.

Organizations across Ohio from all political backgrounds have spoken out against these efforts, especially in light of ongoing protests in the fight for racial justice.

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In Case You Missed It, the Toledo Blade reported today that thanks to the American Rescue Plan, more jobs are coming to northwest Ohio. Forty jobs are coming to Bryan, Ohio as Spangler Candy Company moves production of Bit-O-Honey to the Buckeye state. Spangler President Bill Martin directly attributed the new jobs to the American Rescue Plan and the multiemployer pension fix that was included in the package, a provision that was led by Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Yet, GOP Senate candidates in Ohio continue to oppose the measure. Josh Mandel has attacked the pension provision of the American Rescue Plan specifically, while Jane Timken has publicly stated she would have voted against the measure and has said about the bill, “we have to stand up and fight against this.”

“Today’s news out of Bryan is just another example of how out of touch candidates like Josh Mandel and Jane Timken are with the needs of Ohio workers. As they attack the American Rescue Plan to score political points, the package continues creating jobs for our state and putting more money in the pockets of Ohioans,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Read more HERE and below:

• Spangler Candy Co., which acquired classic candy Bit-O-Honey last November from Pearson’s Candy Co. of St. Paul, said it will move production of the roasted almond and honey treat to its facility in Bryan in the first half of 2022, creating 40 jobs.
• “With the many challenges we have all faced in the past year, we are excited for this opportunity to add more jobs to Bryan and provide a boost to our local economy,” he added.
• Meanwhile, the company said that unionized production, maintenance, warehouse, and sanitation workers at Spangler have ratified a new contract that runs through February, 2025, and includes the West Campus facility. Workers at Spangler have been represented by Teamsters Local 20 since 1959.
• Mr. Martin said the ability to move Bit-O-Honey production to Bryan was aided by a solution to the multiemployer pension plan crisis. The government’s American Rescue Plan Act, approved by Congress in March, resolved the problem.
• “The multi-employer pension crisis has been a roadblock to any expansion at Spangler for several years,” Mr. Martin said. “The Bit-O-Honey move will help our employees, our company, and our community in a big way.”

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