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Foreign entities buying U.S. farmland: threat or hyperbole?
During his visit to Ohio last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised Republican U.S. Senate nominee J.D. Vance’s forceful opposition of the “Chinese communist party.” He said Vance would be “tough” on them in the Senate. DeSantis described how, in Florida, he’s signed legislation banning Confucius Institutes — programs funded by the Chinese government to […]
Tim Ryan plays offense, defense in Central Ohio campaign swing
In a pair of Central Ohio campaign stops Tuesday, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Tim Ryan drew distinctions with his Republican opponent and tried to mend fences with skeptical supporters. At Zanesville Treatment Services Ryan got a look behind the scenes at an outpatient addiction treatment clinic. Executive director Brad Hess gave Ryan a tour […]
Fear and grievance in the Mahoning Valley
More than a thousand chairs were lined up in long neat rows, in a Girard, Ohio ballroom Friday. Organizers had laid out placards reading “Unite & Win” on each one, alternating in navy blue and red. A disco ball hung above the lectern. People began lining up early Friday afternoon outside the Metroplex Expo Center […]
Democrats criticize DeWine administration’s ethics, demand fixes
Democrats are hammering the administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for a rash of stories over the last few months they say raise serious ethical questions that highlight the need for changes to Ohio law. In late May, Ohioans learned that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted quietly took a seat on a bank’s board a few […]
After sluggish summer, some Ohio Republicans predict Vance comeback while others have doubts
The dog days of summer are usually the time when political campaigns lay low, biding their time for a post-Labor Day blitz. Tim Ryan didn’t get the message. Ryan poured more than $7.5 million into advertising since winning the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in May. Spending at that clip is a recognition of the challenge […]
State health officials preach prevention as Monkeypox, COVID-19 continue spread
Ohio Department of Health officials emphasized calm and caution during an update Thursday. Cases of Monkeypox are on the rise nationally, and COVID-19 continues to spread as children prepare to return to school. Both present challenges, health officials explained, but the state is well-positioned to respond. Monkeypox cases so far have come primarily from to […]
Groups introduce tracker for Ohio’s COVID funds and suggestions for remaining dollars
Researchers with the Ohio Poverty Law Center and Advocates for Ohio’s Future have built an online tool to track how state and local governments are spending COVID relief dollars. They also have a few ideas for the nearly $2 billion Ohio has left over. Last year’s American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA, sent more than $10 […]
Dem U.S. Senate nominee Tim Ryan takes aim at his GOP opponent during state fair visit
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Tim Ryan bashed his Republican opponent J.D. Vance as “clueless,” and disengaged with policies that matter to Ohioans. Ryan spoke at the Ohio state fair a few days after Vance made a visit of his own. Shortly after judging a ribs and pulled pork competition last Tuesday, Vance declined to weigh in […]
Where are the financial disclosures?
Update 8/9/2022: since publishing, J.R. Majewski has filed his disclosures for 2021 and 2022. None of the other candidates referenced in this story have done so yet. A raft of candidates running for Ohio congressional seats this year have so far failed to file financial disclosures with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. […]
Wrapping up Ohio’s Aug. 2 Statehouse primaries
Polls closed Tuesday on a displaced and largely neglected primary election in Ohio. Unofficial turnout figures were just 7.93% according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose. But even if turnout was anemic, the results still count, and those results offer a couple of firsts worth highlighting. In Northeast Columbus-area Districts 3 and 9, voters are […]
J.D. Vance’s transformation from Trump translator to MAGA combatant
Since publishing his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, Republican U.S. Senate nominee J.D. Vance has been on something of an ongoing lecture tour. The book wove together the opioid crisis and the challenges of growing up in poverty in an industrial community in decline. But most fortuitous for Vance, it came out as Donald Trump was ascending […]
At State Fair, Vance downplays funding gap, explains opposition to same-sex marriage bill
At the Ohio State Fair Tuesday, J.D. Vance downplayed the gap in fundraising that has opened up between himself and Democrat Tim Ryan. The Republican U.S. Senate nominee also elaborated on his opposition to the Respect for Marriage Act. After a bruising primary, there were concerns that Vance might have a difficult time consolidating support […]