OHDems

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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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.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell is running for Auditor with experience pulling a city out of a fiscal emergency, uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse and addressing those issues to get Maple Heights back on track to grow communities. Blackwell also touts her commitment to working across the aisle, as the Akron Beacon Journal notes she has “done numerous times as mayor.”

In case you missed it, read more on Annette Blackwell’s message to Ohioans about how she “would focus on problem-solving, advising and relationship building,” including to catch corruption, mismanagement, and fraud early if elected Auditor:

Akron Beacon Journal: Maple Heights mayor seeks Ohio seat, focuses on helping cities in crisis

• When Blackwell became mayor of Maple Heights 10 years ago, the city was struggling with finances.
• The city entered fiscal emergency in 2015, before she became mayor, when it failed to make payments on three loans for sewer projects, Ideastream reported. Four years later, the city was released from the emergency.
• Blackwell said this was one year early. It took a lot of effort to turn things around, but that effort came with little help from the auditor’s office.
• Blackwell recalled having a “war room” in her home full of papers and documents. There, she found many problems. The city was paying for health care for retired or dead employees and overpaying for a reduced law department, for example.
• If elected as the auditor, Blackwell said she would focus on problem-solving, advising and relationship building. The latter, she said, could help prevent corruption and mismanagement before it spirals. It also means catching fraud.
• She said her time working with the auditor’s office as mayor and her time as a consultant separate her from LaRose. She’s also willing to work across the aisle with Republicans, which she has done numerous times as mayor.
• “I don’t mind being the first person to cross the aisle, because we do our best work together,” she said.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Following the Ohio Democratic Party State Central Committee meeting in Columbus today, Chair Kathleen Clyde issued the following statement:

“Ahead of this critical midterm election, Ohio Democrats are united behind a strong Democratic ticket and a clear mission: lowering costs and ensuring every Ohio family can thrive. While Republican corruption in Columbus and Washington has driven up costs and left Ohioans falling behind, Democrats are focused on delivering the relief and opportunity families deserve. 

“I look forward to continuing to Chair the Ohio Democratic Party and serve alongside incredible leaders throughout our state as we work together to elect Democrats up and down the ballot who will lower costs, protect our freedoms, and get our state back on track.”

Official business at the State Central Committee Meeting included: swearing in members to the Central Committee and voting on Ohio Democratic Party Chair.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Newly unearthed video is shining a light on what Republican candidate for Congress Eric Conroy actually thinks of Ohio voters who don’t share his political beliefs – with Conroy comparing them to terrorists. Conroy’s comments saying, “sometimes, terrorists are easier to talk to than Democrats,” come at a time when division, dangerous rhetoric, and political violence have become all too common in American politics.

“Eric Conroy should apologize to the Ohioans he’s comparing to terrorists,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “Conroy is proving every day that he only cares about Ohioans if they support him. Ohioans want leaders who will put the people they serve above partisan politics, not extremist politicians who would just be a rubber stamp for the policies that are devastating Ohio families of all political backgrounds, like Washington Republicans’ dangerous healthcare cuts that are ripping care away from Ohio families, their devastating tariffs that are hurting Ohio small businesses, and their reckless war with Iran that is sky-rocketing Ohioans’ gas prices.”

In case you missed it, watch Eric Conroy’s message to Ohioans: 

Heartland Signal: Eric Conroy said “sometimes, terrorists are easier to talk to than Democrats”

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