Over the weekend, Democratic volunteers and candidates went door-to-door through Dayton neighborhoods, urging residents to vote for Ohio gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley and others. Whaley said Ohioans are “hungry for change” from statewide Republican leadership.
Vance campaigned in Columbus with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, on Saturday and on the weekend attended events in Portsmouth, Batavia and other communities before his Monday appearance at the Trump rally in Montgomery County.
“J.D.’s spent the past week barnstorming across our state, including holding rallies and talking with voters in Dayton,” said Luke Schroeder, campaign press secretary. “Our team is encouraged by the energy and unity we are feeling on the ground.”
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Ryan rallied in Vandalia on Thursday and campaigned in Dayton, Xenia and other cities since then.
Whaley, a former Dayton mayor, made several campaign stops in Ohio cities over the weekend, including Dayton on Saturday, and said a lot of Democrats’ momentum is directly related to the issue of abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“We’re seeing really strong early vote numbers across the state, a lot of momentum and a lot of energy,” said Whaley, who is running against Gov. Mike DeWine.
DeWine was scheduled to rally in Yellow Springs later Monday.
Multiple media reports Monday suggested Trump might officially announce his 2024 candidacy for president later Monday night. He did not, but he told the crowd an “important” announcement would be coming next week.
Today’s election includes contested federal races for U.S. Senate and Congress, the winners of whom will make key decisions about the struggling national economy. It includes battles for top statewide offices including governor, secretary of state and state Supreme Court at a time when those positions will have a say in how Ohio’s redistricting controversy plays out for years to come.
Locally, residents will elect candidates to state legislative seats, at a time when state law on abortion is in flux and could be reset. And at the closest level to home, the election will decide judgeships and county leadership positions, plus a litany of city, township and school tax levies that affect residents’ service levels and wallets.
Dayton resident Jason Hillard attended Whaley’s “get out the vote” canvass event Saturday. He said American democracy is at stake, pointing to issues of “voting rights, women’s rights and human rights.”
“If you’re not voting, then you’re complacent to what’s going on in Columbus and in Washington,” he said.
Donald Diller, a U.S. military veteran from Springfield, was at the Trump-Vance rally Monday. He said he supports Trump (and the GOP) because he gives him hope.
Diller said he feels America is lacking the patriotism he remembers as a child.
“When I grew up, America was about freedom and patriotism; there was pride in America, but over the past 10 years, it’s been different,” he said.
Diller said he hoped Americans could come together.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re a homeless person or if we work in a glass penthouse — we’re everybody,” he said. “We’re your brothers, your sisters, your next-door neighbors.”
Darius Beckham, a 25-year-old Dayton resident who was volunteering for Whaley on Saturday, urged everyone to be part of the voting process.
“A mentor of mine always says, ‘If you’re not at the table then you’re on the menu,’ ” Beckham said. “My interpretation of that is if you don’t have a say in who’s running for office or who’s going to represent you and make decisions for you, then you really can’t complain about the conditions of your community and of your state when you haven’t stepped up.”
Trump-Vance rally
For coverage of Monday night’s event, which ran too late for this edition, see the Dayton Daily News e-edition Tuesday morning at ePaper.DaytonDailyNews.com. The DDN did a similar ePaper edition for last week’s Tim Ryan rally.
Election resources
Voting hours: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Voting problems: If you see concerns at your polling place, call our tip line at 937-610-7502.
Voter’s Guide: Visit daytondailynews.com/list/voter-guide to educate yourself on candidates.
Live results: Follow DaytonDailyNews.com for election results after the polls close at 7:30.
ePaper: Get full results and coverage of Tuesday’s key election races Wednesday morning at ePaper.DaytonDailyNews.com
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