Category: News

Columbus, Ohio – Ohioans are struggling more than ever with the high cost of living. But instead of doing anything to help lower costs, Vivek Ramaswamy called affordable care programs like Medicaid and Medicare a “mistake.

WATCH THE CLIP BELOW:

“Ohioans won’t elect a governor who can’t be trusted to fight for affordable healthcare,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ramaswamy has made it clear he thinks affordable healthcare was a mistake and that’s what Ohioans will be thinking about when they head to the polls in November.”

While Ramaswamy calls Medicaid and Medicare a “mistake,” here’s what Ohioans are actually feeling:

• Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio cities rank among the most medically expensive, analysis finds
• Columbus Dispatch: Ohioans’ health insurance was expensive this year. It will cost even more in 2026
• Cleveland.com: 120,000 Ohio families lost health insurance this month. Here’s who to blame
• NBC4: Report: Ohioans paying more for healthcare without receiving proper value
• Signal Ohio: ACA health insurance plans surge in cost as subsidies for low-wage Ohioans are set to expire

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The post REMINDER: As Ohioans Struggle with the Cost of Living, Vivek Ramaswamy Thinks Medicaid & Medicare Were a Mistake appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Husted: “You don’t hear from the ones that love it, right?”

Columbus, Ohio — In a new interview with Julie Mason, Jon Husted once again defended the reckless tariffs that are driving up costs for Ohio farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses, while dismissing the very real pain that Ohioans are feeling across the state.

WATCH HERE: 

Transcript:

Julie Mason: And you know, Senator, I’ve heard anecdotally that a lot of small businesses also feel hard hit by the tariffs.

Jon Husted: Yeah, they do. There’s no doubt that — I mean, some of them feel — you don’t hear from the ones that love it, right? You hear, you hear from the ones that get hit. And there’s no doubt that there are some small businesses that have had a great boost as a result […]. 

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Jon Husted was caught defending the reckless tariffs that are driving up prices across Ohio. While small business owners are struggling to keep their doors open and farmers face rising costs, Husted is dismissing their pain and pretending everything is fine. Jon Husted is completely out of touch with the people of Ohio.”

Husted’s comments are the latest example in a long pattern of dismissing the real struggles Ohioans are facing: 

• Husted has dismissed concerns from struggling Ohioans, claiming that he has helped lower grocery and gas prices and that affordability problems do not exist.

• Husted revealed he has no solutions to actually lower prices, suggesting that Ohioans should just “earn more” to make ends meet.

• Husted insulted Ohio families who are working harder than ever to get by, complaining that Ohioans have a “broken” work ethic.

• Husted voted three separate times last year to block efforts reining in the reckless tariffs driving up costs and closing off markets.

• Because of the Husted-backed tariffs sending costs soaring, some small businesses in Northeast Ohio may need to close. 

• The Husted-backed tariffs are costing a Grove City manufacturer millions of dollars in business, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs. When the company reached out to Jon Husted, his only response was that he “passed along” the concern to the administration.

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The post NEW INTERVIEW: Jon Husted Defends Reckless Tariffs as Ohio Small Businesses Face Skyrocketing Costs appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio — It’s been a brutal week for Jon Husted, as new reporting and courtroom revelations underscore a troubling pattern of corruption, self dealing, and siding with the rich and powerful at the expense of Ohio families.

First, as the FirstEnergy corruption trial kicked off this week, Jon Husted’s name was mentioned twenty-one times on the very first day of opening arguments, putting him at the center of the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history.

700WLW News Radio: Jon Husted At The Center Of FirstEnergy Corruption Trial 

• Travis Laird: Ohio’s former Lieutenant Governor is being called the golden boy of the FirstEnergy scandal. […] Jon Husted’s name was dropped 21 times on the first day of the corruption trial in Akron. As prosecutors lay out the racketeering case against former executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, evidence presented Wednesday labeled Husted as the company’s golden boy.

• Laird: Court documents reveal text messages showing constant communication between Husted and the executives during the fight to pass the House Bill 6 bailout. Democrats say the texts prove Husted was fighting to the end for the utility giant, though he is listed as a potential witness for the defense.

Then, new reporting uncovered that Husted has taken nearly $700,000 from insurance companies and executives that are directly raising rates on Ohioans — as families struggle to afford health care: 

American Journal News: Husted took hundreds of thousands from insurers now raising Ohio rates

• Ohio Sen. Jon Husted has accepted more than $679,000 from insurance companies and their executives over the course of his political career. Many of those companies are now raising rates for struggling Ohioans.

• All of the corporations backing Husted are now raising rates on Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) plans in Ohio. 

• The rate increases come on top of the expiration of enhanced Obamacare tax credits that kept premiums low for 22 million Americans, including 500,000 Ohioans. 

• On Jan. 13, Husted said he opposed a bipartisan plan to reinstate the credits for three more years.

Finally, it was revealed that Husted opposes a ban on members of Congress trading stocks while actively trading stocks himself in office — raising serious concerns about conflicts of interest: 

NBC 4 Columbus: Husted Trades Stocks In Office, Opposes Stock Trading Ban

• Colleen Marshall, NBC 4 Columbus: Financial disclosure documents show [Senator Husted] and his wife are invested in dozens of mutual funds and individual stocks, including for her, stock in Intel. As Lieutenant Governor, Husted was a driving force behind the effort to bring the chipmaker to Ohio. So is that the kind of potential conflict [proponents of a stock trading ban are] targeting?

TiffinOhio.net: Jon Husted opposes stock trading ban while actively trading stocks in office

• New reporting from NBC 4 Columbus details Sen. Jon Husted’s opposition to a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their spouses, alongside disclosures showing investments held by his family.

• During a segment aired by NBC 4, anchor Colleen Marshall cited federal financial disclosure documents indicating that Husted and his wife are invested in dozens of mutual funds and individual stocks, including stock in Intel Corporation held by his wife.

• Marshall noted that, while serving as Ohio lieutenant governor, Husted played a prominent role in efforts to bring Intel’s semiconductor manufacturing project to Ohio, raising questions cited by proponents of a congressional stock trading ban about potential conflicts of interest. 

• NBC 4 reported that Husted has declined to support such a ban.

Heartland Signal: Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s financial wins mirror his government ties

• Financial disclosures show that U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) has financially gained from stocks in companies where he likely had close knowledge.

• While Husted was serving as Ohio’s lieutenant governor in 2022, he joined the executive board for Heartland Bank. 

• In the same year, Husted reported over $1,000 in common stock investments in Heartland Bank, according to records of Husted’s 2022, 2023 and 2024 financial disclosure statements provided by the Ohio Ethics Commission via records request.

• In 2024, Heartland Bank announced that it would merge into a subsidiary of German American Bancorp, a process that was overseen by the Ohio Department of Commerce.

• The Heartland shares jumped by 55% after the merger announcement.

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The post RECAP: Jon Husted’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Husted Has Taken Nearly $700K From Health Insurance Companies Raising Rates In Ohio

Columbus, Ohio — Today, Ohio patients, small business owners, and health care providers rallied outside Jon Husted’s Columbus office to call out his refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and lower health care costs — resulting in as many as 120,000 fewer Ohioans signing up for coverage through the marketplace.

This comes as new reporting reveals Husted’s close ties to Ohio’s insurance industry, taking nearly $700,000 from insurance companies and executives that are directly raising rates on Ohioans. This includes at least $75,000 from Centene, a company that was forced to pay the state of Ohio $88 million in damages for committing Medicaid fraud.

“This year more than half a million Ohioans had their insurance costs skyrocket, causing over 120,000 to go without. People are making tough choices between heath care and basic needs. This is a direct result of Jon Husted’s votes and his choice not to fight for people in Ohio,” said State Senator Beth Liston. 

“Our healthcare costs are skyrocketing, and Senator Jon Husted has done nothing! In fact, he has actively made this tremendous health care issue worse by refusing to extend the ACA tax credits 9 times during Congressional voting! This is the insurance option that saved my life,” said Mindy Hedges, a Delaware County resident and Type 1 diabetic.

“As a nurse, I see the consequences of unaffordable health care every day — patients skipping medications or delaying care because of insanely high costs. We are tired of watching Jon Husted side with the big insurance companies over Ohioans. It’s time our politicians put people over profits,” said Catharyne Henderson, Ohio Nurses Association. 

“The Affordable Care Act tax credits were a lifeline to me and how I was able to afford insurance as a small business owner. Because Jon Husted sided with the big insurance companies over us, I won’t be able to afford health insurance this year. This is Jon Husted’s health care crisis,” said Melinda Carter, a Columbus small business owner. 

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The post Ohioans Slam Jon Husted For Prioritizing Insurance Lobbyist Donors, Refusing to Lower Health Care Costs appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- On day one of his campaign, billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy vowed to eliminate income and property taxes. But while Ramaswamy’s scheme would mean a few extra dollars to fuel up his private jet, working families in Ohio could face a 20% sales tax on everything.

Vivek Ramaswamy said workers who are struggling to make ends meet should just earn more and that rising costs are only in Ohioans’ imaginations. But what’s not imaginary is Ramaswamy’s plan to make Ohioans pay a 20% sales tax on everything.

“Ohioans are already struggling to make ends meet after years of Republicans failing our state, and now Vivek Ramaswamy wants to make their lives even more difficult by slapping a 20% sales tax on everything,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Under Ramaswamy’s scheme, working families would be forced to figure out how to stretch their budgets even further while he cruises above them in his private jet, calls Ohioans lazy, and claims we’re imagining our costs are going up.”

Read more:

Cleveland.com: DeWine warns sales tax could hit 20% if property taxes abolished

• If a proposed constitutional amendment abolishing property taxes were to pass, Ohioans may see sales taxes skyrocket into the double digits, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday morning.

• “Sales tax could go up to 17, 18, 19, 20%, sales tax in the state of Ohio on products that you buy,” DeWine said. “So, it would be absolutely devastating.”

• DeWine also warned that policymakers could be forced to consider increasing income taxes to find new revenue as well.

Columbus Dispatch: Vivek Ramaswamy running for Ohio governor. Wants to end income, property taxes

• Ramaswamy in his speeches outlined some of his platforms. He pledged to eliminate both the income tax and property taxes, which make up more than half of the state’s tax revenue.

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The post Ohioans Could Pay 20% More for Everything Under Billionaire Private Jet Owner Vivek Ramaswamy  appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio – New reporting from Signal Ohio revealed Vivek Ramaswamy’s Super PAC Victors Not Victims took more than a quarter of a million dollars from IT Serve Alliance, then failed to refund the contributions until after Ramaswamy received backlash from online conservatives. 

In November 2025, Vivek Ramaswamy canceled a planned speech last minute at IT Serve Alliance’s annual conference in Puerto Rico following backlash from his own party over IT Serve Alliance’s support for outsourcing American jobs.

IT Serve Alliance contributed $100,000 to V-Pac on November 18th, 2025 and an additional $175,000 on December 1st, 2025. V-PAC then refunded all $275,000 in contributions on December 3rd, 2025, just two days after the controversy began. 

“Vivek’s allies’ willingness to accept more than a quarter of a million dollars from an organization that wants to outsource American jobs only to scramble to save face after getting caught proves once again Ohioans can’t trust Vivek Ramaswamy to fight for them,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “It’s on-brand for a candidate who calls Ohioans lazy and tells struggling families they’re just imagining the rising cost of living.”

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The post NEW: Ramaswamy Super PAC Accepted $275,000 Contribution from Organization Aiming to Outsource American Jobs  appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Day 1 Trial Tracker: Husted Mentioned 21 Times

Columbus, Ohio — As the FirstEnergy bribery trial kicks off in Akron, one thing is already clear: Jon Husted is more deeply connected to the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history than already known. 

On the very first day of proceedings, Husted was mentioned twenty one times, with his first mention coming less than twenty minutes after opening statements began. Husted is listed as a potential defense witness, underscoring how key his role was in the scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to corporations while sticking Ohio families with higher energy bills.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“The reason Jon Husted’s name keeps coming up in this trial is simple: he played a key role in Ohio’s largest corruption scandal. From staying in constant communication with FirstEnergy executives to helping pass a billion dollar bailout that raised energy bills on families, Husted’s activities make it clear why he was FirstEnergy’s ‘golden boy.’ Ohioans deserve answers about how deep Husted’s ties go.”

Read more about Jon Husted’s role in Ohio’s largest corruption scandal:

• Neil Clark, a FirstEnergy lobbyist and co-defendant with former House Speaker Larry Householder, referred to Husted as FirstEnergy’s “golden boy.”

• Text messages between Husted and FirstEnergy Executives reveal that the trio were in constant communication “before, during and after his campaign.”

• Indicted FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones said Husted was a “good friend of FirstEnergy” who was “highly engaged” and “fighting to the end” in support of the massive bail out.

• Just weeks after Husted and DeWine were elected in 2018, they had dinner with Jones and Dowling at the Athletic Club of Columbus.

• Public records show that FirstEnergy funneled $1 million in dark money to a nonprofit backing Husted in 2017 — part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal indictments.

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The post HUSTED TRIAL TRACKER: Jon Husted At The Center Of FirstEnergy Corruption Trial appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio – Yesterday afternoon, billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy officially filed to appear on the ballot in the 2026 gubernatorial election. Here’s what Ohioans need to know:

• Ramaswamy called Ohioans lazy and mediocre in a bizarre social media rant that he still hasn’t apologized for more than a year later 

• He moved his business to Texas just months before announcing his run for governor.

• At a visit to a food bank in Dayton, Ramaswamy told hungry kids his solution to their problems was to learn to read faster. Months later in an Instagram video, he told struggling Ohioans that the solution to high costs is to just “earn more.”

• He agreed to keynote a conference for a trade association that supports outsourcing American jobs, only to pull out at the last minute after receiving backlash from his own party. 

• In an unearthed video, Ramaswamy called Medicare and Medicaid a “mistake” and refuses to answer questions about how he will lower skyrocketing health care costs for Ohioans.

• Finally, Ramaswamy said last week in a Fox News interview that the higher costs Ohioans are struggling to afford are only “perceived.”  Last year, Ohio families paid $1,532 more in expenses than in 2024.  

“Vivek Ramaswamy is an out-of-touch billionaire who Ohioans know they can’t trust to put our state first,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Whether it’s calling Ohioans lazy, moving his business to Texas, or saying that Medicare and Medicaid are ‘mistakes’ and rising costs are just in our imagination, Ramaswamy doesn’t understand the challenges Ohioans are facing, doesn’t care, and won’t lift a finger to lower costs for working families.” 

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The post Here’s What Ohioans Should Know As Vivek  ‘Medicare Was a Mistake’ Ramaswamy Officially Files to Run for Governor appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- The first month of 2026 is behind us, and it was a tough one for billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy. 

First, it was revealed that his personal bodyguard was at the center of a massive drug trafficking scandal and it took Ramaswamy weeks to fire him. Reporting later revealed Ramaswamy’s security firm was operating illegally in Ohio due to the fact that they were not licensed in the state, causing the firm to fold within days.

Then, in another example of just how wrong Ramaswamy is for Ohio’s working families. Ramaswamy said Medicaid and Medicare were a “mistake,” despite the fact that the absence of either would skyrocket health care prices for Ohioans.

Ramamswamy followed this up by unveiling his grand plan for hardworking Ohioans struggling with rising costs: just make more money. 

And if it wasn’t already clear that Ramaswamy neither cares about nor has any solutions for the challenges Ohioans are going through, he told Fox News that costs aren’t actually rising and Ohioans have just “perceived” that everything from food to utilities to clothing is more expensive. 

It’s no surprise from a politician who spent more than $555,000 on private jet flights in the most recent campaign finance filing period.

“Vivek Ramaswamy opened 2026 by flying over our state in his private jet lecturing Ohioans about how rising costs are only in our imagination,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “We look forward to Ramaswamy continuing to run on his platform of calling Ohioans lazy while making it clear he doesn’t understand what working families are going through.”  

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The post Vivek Ramaswamy’s Four Worst Moments of 2026 appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio — New reporting from NBC 4 Columbus reveals that Senator Jon Husted has refused to support a ban on stock trading for Members of Congress and their spouses — even as he enriches himself by actively trading stocks while in office.

WATCH:

Transcript:

Colleen Marshall, NBC 4 Columbus: Financial disclosure documents show [Senator Husted] and his wife are invested in dozens of mutual funds and individual stocks, including for her, stock in Intel. As Lieutenant Governor, Husted was a driving force behind the effort to bring the chipmaker to Ohio. So is that the kind of potential conflict [proponents of a stock trading ban are] targeting?

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Jon Husted refuses to ban stock trading in Congress because he’s personally enriching himself while having access to insider information. While Ohio families are struggling to afford the basics, Husted is cashing in while in office. Ohioans deserve a Senator focused on making life better for them — not enriching themselves.”

Read more about Jon Husted’s corruption:

• Jon Husted has reported that his wife had investments of up to $15,000 in Intel Corporation.

• In a recent interview, Husted admitted to meeting with Intel about the status of the company’s Ohio manufacturing project, suggesting he had access to non-public information.

• As Lieutenant Governor, Husted was described as the “face of Intel in Ohio” and was responsible for helping finalize the deal to bring the company to Ohio.

• Husted’s refusal to crack down on corruption fits a clear pattern: siding with the wealthy while Ohio families struggle with skyrocketing utility, grocery, and health care costs.

• Husted has denied an affordability crisis exists at all, insulting Ohioans by telling them to simply “earn more” money and complaining their “work ethic is broken.”

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The post NEW REPORTING: Jon Husted Opposes Stock Trading Ban While Actively Trading Stocks In Office appeared first on Ohio Democrats.