4 months ago
In what seems for illustration a golden-oldie replay for Ohio Democrats, they look much focused connected erstwhile U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s imaginable comeback this November than connected nan remainder of their party’s 2026 statewide ticket.
Brown was unseated successful 2024 by Greater Cleveland Republican Bernie Moreno and is now moving against Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Upper Arlington. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted to nan Senate erstwhile now-Vice President JD Vance near it to play flunky to Donald Trump.
Brown was first elected to nan Senate successful 2006, unseating DeWine – mini world, Ohio is – past re-elected successful 2012 and 2018. He was defeated by Moreno successful 2024, gleaning 46% of nan statewide ballot to Moreno’s 50%.
Brown vs. Husted seems to excite Ohio Democratic insiders much than, say, who’ll win DeWine arsenic governor. That’s agelong been a problem for Ohio Democrats, who for eons person seemed much excited by White House photo-ops than Statehouse power-ops.
True, this year’s gubernatorial title betwixt erstwhile authorities Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, a Youngstown autochthonal now of Bexley, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-born high-tech zillionaire now of Upper Arlington, offers Democrats a adjacent imaginable of winning nan governorship, not slightest because Ramaswamy evidently sees nan governorship arsenic a waypoint en way to nan White House.
(Meanwhile, for what it’s worth, if Mike DeWine has thing bad to opportunity astir Acton, nary 1 ever seems to person heard it.)
Competing to go lawyer general, succeeding lame-duck Republican AG David Yost, are Republican now-State Auditor Keith Faber, of Celina, an Ohio State rule grad, challenged by 2 Democrats seeking nan information -- Upper Arlington Democratic City Council personnel John Kulewicz, a Yale rule grad and a retired partner successful nan Columbus powerfulness rule patient Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, and erstwhile authorities Rep. Elliot Forhan of nan Cleveland area, besides pinch a Yale rule degree.
Seeking to win Faber arsenic auditor is chap Republican Frank LaRose of Upper Arlington, now caput of state, who’s being term-limited retired of that office. If there’s a Democrat seeking to go authorities auditor, she aliases he hasn’t announced for nan job. LaRose is rumored to fancy being Ramaswamy’s moving mate, i.e., to tally for lieutenant governor, which would make LaRose politician if Ramaswamy became president.
Two Democrats want nan Democratic information for caput of state, while Findlay Republican Robert Sprague, now authorities treasurer, is seeking nan GOP’s nod. The secretary’s best-known work is overseeing elections.
The Democratic contenders for caput of authorities are Dr. Brian Hambley of Warren County’s Loveland, and authorities Rep. Allison Russo, of Upper Arlington.
Hambley, a Notre Dame graduate, earned nationalist wellness and aesculapian degrees astatine Tulane. He specializes successful treating group pinch humor cancers. Hambley has been energetically campaigning statewide for nan caput of authorities nomination. He was a unpaid supporting 2024’s statewide Citizens Redistricting Commission ballot initiative, a fair-districts scheme defeated successful portion owed to distorted ballot connection engineered by LaRose.
Russo spearheaded a bipartisan Ohio House coup that awarded its 2023-24 speakership to mean GOP Rep. Jason Stephens, of Lawrence County’s Kitts Hill, not doctrinaire Republican authorities Rep. Derek Merrin, of suburban Toledo, seen earlier arsenic apt victor of nan agenda-setting speakership.
Sprague, of Findlay, is being term-limited retired of nan treasurer’s office. He earned a Duke mechanical engineering grade and an MBA astatine nan University of North Carolina astatine Chapel Hill. So far, 4 Republicans, but nary Democrats, want to win Sprague arsenic treasurer: erstwhile General Assembly personnel Niraj Antani, of suburban Dayton, an Ohio State postgraduate of Indian American heritage; State Sen. Kristina Roegner, of Hudson, who earned a Tufts mechanical engineering grade and an MBA astatine nan University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School; erstwhile authorities Rep. Jay Edwards of Athens County, besides a postgraduate of Ohio State; and Lake County Treasurer Michael Zuren, of suburban Painesville.
Do immoderate of those down-ballot statewide executive offices person nan prestige and powerfulness of nan governorship, aliases nan 24/7 TV vulnerability of a Senate seat? No.
But nan men and women who triumph down-ballot offices, successful effect – assuming they present responsive services – connection what magnitude to training schools successful applicable authorities for their employees. Those are greenhouses wherever candidates sprout.
But erstwhile was nan past clip Ohio Democrats landed a down-ballot statewide executive office? A 2008 typical predetermination for lawyer general, which Democrat Richard Cordray won. That was 18 years ago. And it shows.
Thomas Suddes, a personnel of nan editorial board, writes from Athens.
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