It’s always election season in Ohio

Graphic by Maggie Prosser.

The 2020 election season was exhausting to say the least.

With a delay in calling the presidential election for Joe Biden, lawsuits and attempts to overturn the election results, and the Jan. 6 insurrection, many are likely just happy it is over. Especially here in Ohio, the supposed “bellwether state,” so much campaigning occurred that a break in constant political campaigning on commercials and in Twitter feeds is appreciated by many.

Nevertheless, the world of politics never sleeps.

The next two years in both local and statewide politics will be consequential, as Democrats look to make up lost ground here in Ohio while expanding national majorities, with a focus on the state that has taken a hard turn to the political right over the past decade.

It’s never too early to talk about the next election.

Athens County is a unique place, politically speaking. It’s often referred to as a blue dot in a sea of red. And while the rest of Southeast Ohio, once a Democratic stronghold, has turned an even deeper shade of red, the city of Athens is still run by Democrats, at least within city limits.

While Democrats have maintained a stronghold in Athens, a socialist wave of Independent candidates created some competitiveness in recent elections — to little avail.

In 2019, the Democratic Party swept the Athens City elections. Mayor Steve Patterson defeated Independent challenger Damon Krane in a landslide, and Democrats swept the City Council races.

There will be a new slate of City Council candidates come fall 2021.

Krane announced in a Facebook post April 13 that he plans on running for an at-large seat on City Council this fall. He said in the post he wants to focus on racial justice and policing, affordable housing, predatory landlords, code enforcement, public health and “continuing the local ‘Bernie Sanders effect.’”

“We have no way of knowing yet whether the new Democrats are sincere. (I hope they are!) But regardless, there's NO QUESTION what's made the party change its tune,” Krane wrote. “It's all about pressure from lifelong progressives and leftists, whether that pressure comes in the form of anti-establishment candidates or community organizers — and I wear both hats.”

Multiple other candidates have announced their intentions to run. Solveig Spjeldnes and Ben Ziff are both running for at-large seats. These announcements came following word that Peter Kotses and Arian Smedley would not run for re-election. Ziff was just recently appointed to City Council to replace Kotses, who resigned after his announcement.

Alan Swank has also announced his intention to run against incumbent Councilmember Chris Fahl of the Fourth Ward. That primary election will be held May 4, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

But on top of city elections, recent developments have thrown the local congressional district into a new election as well.

U.S. House Rep. Steve Stivers announced in a tweet his resignation from Congress on April 19. Stivers has represented Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, which includes most of Athens County, since 2011. He will vacate his seat May 16 to become the President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

The Athens Messenger reported April 20 that Patterson was considering a bid to replace Stivers.

“Part of your calculus should always be: ‘Who else is running in the southeastern portion of this district,’” Patterson told the Messenger. “At this point, there isn't anybody who's thrown their hat in the ring.”

According to the Athens Messenger, several Columbus area politicians are also considering entering the race.

A primary election for the seat will be held Aug. 3, with a general election to be held Nov. 2.

Ohio’s 2022 statewide elections are where things become especially dicey.

On Jan. 25, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman announced his plan to retire once his term ends in 2022, setting the scene for potential bedlam in the world of Ohio politics.

A new senator will be elected in November 2022 to replace Portman. That same Election Day will see Ohioans vote for their delegates in the U.S. House of Representatives, the gubernatorial election and other statewide positions.

Several notable figures have declared their intention to run for U.S. Senate, with others having openly expressed interest in running.

So far, the two major Republicans that have announced their candidacies are former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken and former Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel.

Timken announced her campaign on Twitter Feb. 18. She served as head of the state’s GOP from 2017-2021, a time when its politics took a turn to the right. Meanwhile, Mandel has previously run for U.S. Senate twice, losing in 2012 to incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown and dropping out of the 2018 primary due to his wife’s health issues, according to the Associated Press. He announced his campaign Feb. 10.

One big question mark is whether venture capitalist J.D. Vance, author of the book “Hillbilly Elegy,” will run. It was reported April 15 by Axios that Vance had told friends and colleagues he planned on running for Senate.

On the Democratic side of the field, there are fewer potential U.S. Senate candidates, but the names are also noteworthy.

U.S. House Rep. Tim Ryan of northeast Ohio, who briefly ran for President in the 2020 election, launched his campaign April 26. Ryan made the announcement in a campaign video on Twitter.

For a while, Amy Acton, the former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, was considering a bid. She had stepped down from her position at the non-profit Columbus Foundation in anticipation of making a decision, according to the Statehouse News Bureau.

Acton had become a high profile figure during her time as Health Director during the coronavirus pandemic. She ultimately decided not to run, making the decision public April 6, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

There has also been speculation whether anybody will challenge incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine in the primary election.

Following the 2020 presidential election, DeWine was one of few Republican politicians, particularly in Ohio, that openly stated President Joe Biden legitimately won the election and urged former President Donald Trump to concede. This led to outcry from other Republicans following Trump’s tweet of what appeared to be encouragement for a primary challenger.

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci has been openly critical of DeWine, tweeting that Ohio needs to “Ditch DeWine.” According to Cleveland.com, Renacci has recently been laying the groundwork for another run for political office.

For the Democrats, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley announced she was running for governor in a campaign video on YouTube. Whaley said in the video it is the toughness of her city that has molded her to be the best candidate.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranely has also previously expressed interest in running for governor. Cranley had $500,000 in a campaign account earlier this year, according to Cleveland.com.