OHDems

COLUMBUS, OH – Following breaking news late last week that FBI agents raidedthe Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a nonprofit organization focused on voter registration, civic engagement and community organizing, and visited the homes of current and former staff and volunteers, Ohio Democrats are forcefully speaking out and demanding more information on these actions by federal law enforcement.

Last week, Ohioans also saw Republicans in Columbus pass a resolution that will place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot codifying existing photo voter ID requirements for political gain, and a separate piece of legislation, creating new burdensome requirements for voters to provide an actual copy of their driver’s license or state ID when voting by mail, effective in November 2027. 

While the FBI seemingly has not responded to requests for comment on last week’s raids of an Ohio voting rights organization, read more:

Columbus Dispatch: ​​FBI raids Ohio voting rights group office in Cleveland

• Agents questioned volunteers and civil rights leaders with the Ohio Organizing Collaborative across the state, looking for evidence of alleged voter fraud, Ohio Organizing Collaborative Board Member Prentiss Haney said. MS NOW first reported about the raid on the nonprofit, which helps register voters and fights for ballot access.
• Haney estimated more than 100 agents questioned people currently and previously affiliated with the group across Ohio, including in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.
• “They were knocking on their doors. They were calling and demanding people to come outside without warrants and using political intimidation tactics, accusing them of alleged voter fraud,” Haney said. “Yes, there was a raid, but there was not just a raid. It was a full onslaught.”
• Ohio Democrats, including members of Congress, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and the state party, called the raid troubling and wanted more information.

Signal Ohio: What to know about the Ohio Organizing Collaborative after FBI searches

• Reports of the raid drew a swift round condemnation from many prominent state Democratic politicians, including U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown of Cleveland, governor candidate Amy Acton, U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Secretary of State candidate Allison Russo and Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. They all said Ohioans should feel safe registering to vote in November.

WOUB: An Ohio voting rights group says it was raided by the FBI

• Key Democrats are speaking in support of OCC… Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde… also expressed concern over the situation. “With Election Day approaching, it is critical that eligible voters feel confident that they can register, cast a ballot, and participate in our democratic process without fear or confusion,” Clyde said in a statement.
• Multiple attempts have been made to get a comment from the FBI but the agency has not responded.

Daily Signal: Ohio Group Gets Visit From FBI Over Voter Fraud Investigation

• The Ohio Organizing Collective describes itself as having a vision “to organize everyday Ohioans, building transformative power organizations for racial, social, and economic justice” as well as “build a democratic multi-racial populist governing coalition in Ohio.”
• Thursday’s raid has drawn the outrage of Ohio Democrats, including Reps. Shontell Brown and Joyce Beatty, as well as Democrat nominee for governor Amy Acton and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the 2026 special election. Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathleen Clyde also spoke out, as did Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

###

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde issued the following statement on reports of FBI raids on an Ohio voting rights organization:

“The reports of FBI raids involving civil rights leaders and their staff are deeply concerning. Organizations that help eligible Ohioans register to vote and participate in our democracy play an important role in our communities.

“With Election Day approaching, it is critical that eligible voters feel confident that they can register, cast a ballot, and participate in our democratic process without fear or confusion. Ohio’s democracy is strongest when every eligible voter is able to make their voice heard.”

###

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.”

###

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.

###

COLUMBUS, OH – Republican Congressman Mike Turner has a simple message for Ohioans as he continues to vote for the reckless war with Iran that is raising Ohioans’ gas prices: “No comment.” While Turner doubles down on his support for the war with Iran, and gas prices in Ohio have reached $5.00 a gallon in recent weeks, Kristina Knickerbocker and Ohioans in Ohio’s 10th congressional district are calling him out for it.

“It’s simple why Mike Turner is refusing to comment on his support for the reckless war with Iran that is sky-rocketing Ohioans’ gas prices – he can’t defend his out-of-touch votes,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “While Turner clearly doesn’t think he’s accountable to Ohio families and doesn’t seem to care that with every vote he is further raising Ohioans’ costs, Ohioans are rallying behind Kristina Knickerbocker who will oppose this reckless war with Iran and actually lower costs for families in Ohio’s 10th congressional district.”

Read more about how Ohioans are slamming Mike Turner for his votes to raise costs – and how Turner can’t even be bothered to comment.

Journal-News: Congressional candidate rebukes Turner’s vote on war powers resolution

• “Mike Turner continues to vote for this war, which means it’s a vote for the Miami people to work harder, to suffer more and to not get their basic needs met,” Knickerbocker said.
• Adam Miller, former state representative and current chair of the Ohio Democratic Party Veterans Caucus, joined Knickerbocker’s criticism of Turner’s vote in his opening remarks.
• Miller described Turner’s actions in Congress as a sign of “gross negligence” and said that “Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon today because of Mike Turner’s failure.”
• Knickerbocker claims that Miami Valley residents face the impact of military actions in Iran through the rising cost of living.
• “It is time we have a representative in office that understands the cost we are facing every single day, from rising gas costs to childcare that is completely unaffordable,” Knickerbocker said.
• Turner’s office declined to comment.

###