Category: News

COLUMBUS, Ohio – New reports are showing the effects of Washington’s economic chaos on Ohio families. The state’s unemployment rate has jumped to the highest level in four years,  while major employers like Sherwin-Williams are slashing retirement benefits by suspending their 401(k) matching contributions, “citing weak sales amid economic and tariff headwinds.” 

“Unelected Senator Jon Husted’s economic recklessness is hurting Ohio workers,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “The chaotic tariffs he supports are driving up costs for small businesses and manufacturers, making it harder to create and keep good-paying jobs. Husted voted for the largest billionaire tax break in American history, while Ohio workers are facing rising unemployment, higher costs, and threats to their retirement security.”

What Ohioans are reading today in Cleveland.com:

• “Ohio’s unemployment rate rose to 5% in July, marking an increase from June’s 4.9% and a significant jump from 4.3% in July 2024.”

• “The growth of the United States’ GDP is steeply decreasing. And the number of job openings in July came in below the number of U.S. unemployed for the first time since April 2021.”

• “The dips are affecting Sherwin-Williams, one of Cleveland’s flagship employers. The company is poised to pause its contributions to employee 401(k) accounts because of inflation that has decreased DIY demand and tariffs that have increased costs.”

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The post Husted’s Economic Chaos: Higher Unemployment, Rising Costs, and Threats to Retirement Security appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- Reporting from the Ohio Capital Journal found that veterans could suffer from Republican cuts to Medicaid that all Republican members of Ohio’s congressional delegation voted for. Veterans in Ohio and across the country have made countless sacrifices to serve our country. Now, Republicans are rewarding them by taking away their healthcare or making it more expensive. 

READ: Ohio’s veterans could suffer from federal Medicaid cuts, 09/02/2025

• Military veterans in Ohio could suffer from the cuts to Medicaid in the federal budget bill signed by President Donald Trump in July. Ohio will see a $33 billion decrease in federal Medicaid spending over the next ten years, part of the $911 billion in total Medicaid cuts across the country for the next decade, according to estimates from health policy research organization KFF.

• The reductions come at a time when more members of the military than ever are coming back from conflict. […]  With reductions in both the VA and Medicaid, veterans on Medicaid expansion may see “more red tape” with increases to the number of times they must prove eligibility.

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The post Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio’s veterans could suffer from federal Medicaid cuts appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- All eyes will be on Ohio Stadium this Saturday as the Buckeyes play Texas in a rematch of last season’s playoff semifinals. But while Ohioans from every walk of life cheer on the Buckeyes, billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy will actually be cheering for Texas after moving his business to Dallas just months before announcing his gubernatorial run.

While Ohioans struggle to make ends meet with just one good job, Ramaswamy decided to move employees with good-paying jobs and their families to Dallas. Instead of choosing to build up Ohio’s economy, he shipped our jobs and talent to Texas.

“Ohioans deserve a governor who will be cheering for them on and off the field. Instead of investing in our state’s future, Ramaswamy chose to kick jobs and business all the way to Texas,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “While Ramaswamy leaves Ohioans on the sidelines, Democrats are throwing flags on the play and organizing to make sure he never becomes governor.”

READ: Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy moving finance firm from Ohio to Dallas 11/05/2024

• Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is moving his financial services firm from Columbus to Dallas. […] The firm already has $1.7 billion under management.

• The company expects most of its Columbus-based staff to relocate to Dallas over the next few months.

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The post Ahead of the OSU Texas Game, Vivek Ramaswamy is Cheering for Texas appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- Ahead of a redistricting cycle where Republicans will try to rig Ohio’s congressional districts to compensate for their party’s extreme unpopularity, Ohio Democrats are speaking out. While Republicans try to silence the voters, Democrats will use every available option to make sure all Ohioans have an equal opportunity to make their voices heard at the polls.

READ MORE about what Ohioans are reading ahead of Republican attempts to further rig Ohio’s congressional districts: 

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Democrats are preparing to challenge GOP congressional maps for 2026 election

• As a nationwide redistricting arms race unfolds, Ohio Democrats say they’re ready to fight back against unfair GOP maps when the battle hits the Buckeye State.

• But Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chair Kathleen Clyde said Ohio Democrats won’t compromise and vote for a gerrymandered map. “No Democrat should vote for a map that doesn’t represent the will of the voters, and Democrats are unified in our opposition,” 

• Clyde also outlined options if Republicans approved a map that unfairly increases GOP seats in the state. Ohio Democrats could sue, have Ohioans vote on the map using a process called the referendum or pursue another redistricting reform ballot measure.

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio Democrats buckle up for congressional redistricting fight

• Ohio Democrats are preparing for a congressional redistricting fight this fall, hoping to stand up to a Republican supermajority and align districts with the voter trends. Meanwhile, prominent Republicans have proposed drawing even more skewed districts.

• “We will fight, we will organize, we will make noise at every step of the process,” said Ohio Democratic Party chair Kathleen Clyde in a Thursday press call with Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder. 

• “Even with a minority status in the legislature, that is part of the process, minority support for the maps,” Clyde said. “We will be pursuing what the voters said they wanted, which is a map where fairness is a key piece of the process.”

Roll Call: At the Races: Maps mania

• The focus on redistricting is set to move next to Ohio. “The path to winning back the U.S. Congress certainly goes through Ohio,” Kathleen Clyde, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, said on a Thursday press call.  Clyde said that “all options are on the table” for how Ohio Democrats will fight for fair maps throughout the upcoming process. 

WTVG: Ohio democrats get support from Texas counterparts ahead of redistricting battle, 

• Kendall Scudder, chair of the Texas Democratic Party, and Kathleen Clyde, chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, held a joint news conference ahead of Ohio’s mapmaking process beginning next month. Clyde said all options are on the table for Democrats, including legal challenges or an effort to overturn a map adopted by Republicans at the ballot box.

• She said Democrats will “fight, we will organize, we will make noise at every step of the process.”

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The post WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING: “All Options are On the Table” As Redistricting Begins  appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- Last week, Bernie Moreno joined the City Club of Cleveland to participate in their long-standing tradition of public forums explaining his work in Washington to the community. It went so badly for Moreno that Ohio Republican Party Chair Alex Triantafilou told Republicans to avoid City Club events in the future to avoid being held accountable.  

This was Moreno’s first public event since taking office. Outside and inside the event, he faced Ohioans who were angry and Moreno spent his time “unabashedly defending” Donald Trump while working families faced higher costs and bills. He repeated false talking points while ignoring that over 490,000 Ohioans will lose healthcare and 400,000 Ohioans will lose food assistance.

Check out more coverage of Bernie’s brutal visit to the City Club below: 

Cleveland.com: Bernie Moreno faces raucous City Club crowd in first public forum

•  Moreno spent the hour unabashedly defending Trump and his policies. […] Wednesday was the first time Moreno faced constituents and their questions in the seven months since taking office. He has held no public town hall events.

• Moreno, […] repeated familiar Republican talking points used to defend the party’s policies —some of which have proven to be false. Moreno claimed, for example, that there will be no cuts to Medicaid because of the One Big Beautiful Bill and instead claiming that “significant amounts of money” will be added to the program The Congressional Budget Office estimates after the bill passed said it will reduce federal Medicaid spending by $911 billion over 10 years. 

Cleveland.com: Ohio GOP chair urges candidates to boycott City Club after Moreno event 

• The chairman of the Ohio Republican Party says he will urge Republican candidates to avoid events at The City Club of Cleveland following Sen. Bernie Moreno’s treatment in a visit earlier this week.

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The post Bernie Moreno Talked to Voters and It Went So Badly the Ohio GOP Chair Told Republicans to Stop  appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- In case you missed it, last week Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde and Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder held a joint news conference to detail how Democrats are fighting back against extreme Republican gerrymandering in their states. While Texas may have been first, Ohio is next and Democrats are ready to use every option available to fight back.

“Democrats are unified in our opposition. Democrats will use every tool available to stop Republicans from implementing their partisan vision for Ohio and achieve a fair map. Instead of lies and tricks, we will fight for an open process with public input that results in fair maps for all Ohioans,” said Chair Clyde.

“We will not sit aside and allow Donald Trump and the billionaire class to not do the work of the people of Texas,”said Chair Scudder

Ohioans are currently represented by maps the Republican-controlled Ohio Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional. In 2024, 55% of Ohioans voted for the Republican candidate, but 66% of our Congressional seats are gerrymandered for Republicans. In a fair, constitutional map, Ohio’s 15 congressional districts would be 8 Republican and 7 Democratic, not 10 and 5, respectively.

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The post ICYMI: Ohio, Texas Democrats Stand Together As Redistricting Fight Moves to Ohio appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- Today marks the 90th anniversary of the social security program, which helps millions of Americans retire with dignity. Instead of standing up for social security, Ohio Republicans are either working to cut the program, too weak to push back, or both as social security faces its biggest threat in 90 years.

Every Republican in Ohio’s congressional delegation voted for the not-so “big, beautiful bill” that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent admitted was a “backdoor for privatizing social security.” In addition to his vote for the “big, beautiful bill” that would threaten social security, Senator Husted voted against multiple amendments that would have protected social security benefits for Ohio’s seniors. Clearly, Ohioans can’t trust Husted to protect their social security.

Meanwhile, gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy relentlessly supported Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts, which already have included deep cuts to social security. Seniors are facing up to three hour waits on the phone for assistance, and many are forced to go to an office in-person and wait in long lines. Ramaswamy is too focused on cutting taxes for his fellow billionaires. He can’t be trusted to protect Ohio seniors.

“Social security is a lifeline for more than a quarter of Ohioans, but Republicans up and down the ballot would take it away in a minute to score political points. Already, Ramaswamy and Husted have thrown the program into chaos in order to save money for billionaires, resulting in long lines and frustration for their constituents,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Voters won’t tolerate candidates who refuse to protect the social security they earned, and will vote accordingly in 2026.”

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The post REMINDER: On 90th Anniversary of Social Security, Ohio Republicans Want to Gut Program appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio-After nearly six years and over half a billion dollars paid by taxpayers to bail out billionaires in a deal made possible by house bill six and the largest corruption scandal in Ohio’s history, Ohioans are still waiting for Jon Husted to explain his role in the scandal that cost them over half a billion dollars and led to Ohio’s status as the number one state for government corruption. 

There are still plenty of questions that need to be answered. Husted, one of the politicians at the center of the scandal, still refuses to answer questions about his role, even after court documents revealed more elected officials may have been bribed than previously known. Ohioans deserve answers from Senator Husted, but instead they’ve been met with silence. 

“Before Ohioans knew Husted as their senator, they knew him as state official two. Despite Husted’s attempts to run from his corruption scandal, voters know he sold them out for billionaires and special interests, just like he did in his first months in Washington, said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans want politicians who will fight for them, not sell them out to the highest bidder, and will vote accordingly in 2026.”

Read more about Senator Husted’s work with FirstEnergy and House Bill 6 at StateOfficialTwo.Com

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The post After Ohioans Paid over Half a Billion Dollars for HB6, Husted Still Silent About Role in Scandal appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- In case you missed it, Cleveland.com’s Brent Larkin outlined the GOP vision that has failed Ohio for almost two decades. Instead of helping families make ends meet, Republicans are laser focused on giving tax cuts to billionaires. Voters are fed up, and Husted, Ramasawamy, and Republicans up and down the ballot will have to answer for their party’s failed policies at the polls in 2026.

“While Vivek Ramaswamy and Jon Husted are tripping over themselves to gain distance from their party’s failures, Ohioans are struggling to make ends meet only to see Republicans jump through hoops to help billionaires while leaving everyone else behind. Despite Husted, Ramaswamy, and every other Republican on the ballot’s hopes, voters know Republicans bear the responsibility for Ohio’s decline, and they’ll show that at the polls,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer.

READ MORE from Cleveland.com about the failing Republican vision for Ohio.

• Across the country, state governments are in a race to the bottom. If presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy is elected to replace DeWine next year, Ohio’s decline will accelerate.

• Many, maybe most, of the victims will be children. In the name of cutting taxes for Ohio’s wealthiest citizens, the state’s legislative leaders are determined to harm poor kids by cutting funding for food, health care and education. 

• In Republican-run Ohio, state leaders have been forcing local governments to defund their police departments for 14 years. Since 2011, Republican governors and legislators have cut more than $1 billion in funding historically used by local governments to fund vital services.

• If Ramaswamy becomes governor and keeps his promise to eliminate the state income tax, defunding the police may become more commonplace.

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The post Cleveland.com: Tax cuts for the rich. Infant deaths for the poor. Welcome to the GOP vision for Ohio appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- In case you missed it, last week cleveland.com’s Today in Ohio podcast highlighted JD Vance’s disastrous return visit to Ohio and Congresswoman Emila Sykes’s response to his attempt to market a dangerous bill to Ohioans. While Vance desperately tries to sell legislation that rips away healthcare and food assistance from Ohioans, Congresswoman Sykes and Democrats are fighting back.

“JD Vance knows the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is deeply unpopular- that’s why he’s travelling the country in what will prove to be a fruitless attempt to defend it. Meanwhile, OH-13 residents know Congresswoman Sykes is fighting for them and against the bill JD Vance is selling,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Despite Vance’s efforts, Republicans at all levels of government own this dangerous bill and it’ll show at the polls in 2026.” 

Check out more about JD’s stop in Ohio and how Congresswoman Sykes is fighting back below:

• Vice President J.D. Vance’s Monday appearance in Canton to promote the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” backfired spectacularly.

• What was intended as a victory lap for the administration’s tax policy quickly devolved into a political misstep that left the vice president on the defensive.

• Host Chris Quinn characterized Vance as a “stooge” for the administration, saying: “I don’t think somebody who lacks credibility as much as J.D. Vance does is the way to convince anybody it’s a good idea. Emilia Sykes had him for lunch in her response.”

• The exchange highlights a fundamental disconnect in how the administration frames the bill versus how it’s perceived by many Americans. While Vance touts benefits like no taxes on tips and overtime, critics argue the legislation disproportionately benefits the wealthy while potentially gutting critical social programs.

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The post ICYMI: JD Vance’s Big Beautiful Bill promotion backfires as Congresswoman Sykes “had him for lunch” appeared first on Ohio Democrats.