HomeNews

Ohio Primary Election Provides Opportunity For New Leadership

Dismiss
Ohioans Vote Early Ahead Of State's Midterm Primary Election

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty

Primary elections are often overlooked as merely a stepping stone to the general election. But often, the primary is just as important as the general election. Ohio voters have a chance to make a change in several seats up for election this cycle. The May 3 primary election marks the beginning of a series of major races across the country. 

Republican Sen. Rob Portman is not running for re-election, leaving open the possibility of a possible flip. Democrats see a match-up between Rep. Tim Ryan and progressive attorney Morgan Harper. Ryan recently posted what appears to be a digital ad that positions him as a more “reasonable” version of a Republican candidate, a strategy that never works for Democrats.

Ryan claims he’s a fighter for Ohio by using low-hanging fruit like being against “defund the police” and “China,” Ryan claims he’s a fighter for Ohio. Meanwhile, Harper continues to message as someone who will represent all of Ohio. A central message of her campaign is about guaranteeing equal opportunity for all.

Harper has been endorsed by She the People, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, The Collective PAC and Elect Black Women. An attorney by trade, Harper recently served as the director of policy and advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. She also served as a senior advisor at the Consumer Financial Bureau during the Obama administration.

On the Republican side, front runner J.D. Vance picked up the coveted Trump endorsement ahead of the May 3 primary. In a race to the bottom, Vance has made ridiculous claims to appease the former president’s supporters and draw national attention with his antics.

In addition to the senate race, Ohioans will have the opportunity to elect statewide officials this cycle. Two Black women are running for statewide offices and should not be overlooked. Cuyahoga County Vice President Cheryl Stephens is running for lieutenant governor alongside former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.

Forest Park City Councilwoman Chelsea Clark is running for Secretary of State. Clark will take on Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who has been catering to Trump’s falsehood around the 2020 election.

In a prior interview, Clark said Republicans were waging a war against free and open elections.

“This is about the undoing of democracy,” she said. “And I won’t stand by and watch it happen without speaking out.”

Former state Sen. Nina Turner once again squares off against Rep. Shontel Brown to represent the district, including much of Cleveland. Turner lost to Brown in the special election to replace HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. Fudge stepped down from the seat to join the Biden administration.

A solidly Democratic district, Tuesday’s election is the general election for the 11th Congressional District. Brown has been endorsed in her re-election bid by President Biden. Turner again picked up the endorsement from the local paper of record, the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

And while some in national media make this race another chapter in the establishment/progressive proxy wars, to the people of the 11th Congressional District, it’s another opportunity to choose their champion in Washington D.C. According to the Plain Dealer, Turner is the fighter the district needs while acknowledging Brown has held her own in the short time she’s been in office.

Speaking with NewsOne last summer, Turner said that representing the district in Congress also means prioritizing engagement in the community. Touting her experience on a city council combined with organizing a post-2016 election to build across urban, rural and suburban communities.

“I will go to where people are,” Turner said. “ I don’t want people to give up. To be so jaded by what is happening that they have lost hope.”

She also said people get wrapped up in labels or whether the district is moderate to conservative. Still, there are issues that resonate with people regardless of their ideology.

“People just want to live,” Turner said. “I think about the words life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. That’s really what this comes down to. And I’ve added to that liberty and  everybody’s pursuit of happiness.”

See Also: 

Nina Turner Loses To Shontel Brown In Primary For Ohio Congress, And Battle Between Establishment And Progressive Democrats

Nina Turner Makes Her Case For Congress: ‘People Just Want To Live’

Ohio Primary Election Provides Opportunity For New Leadership  was originally published on newsone.com