OPINION: As the nation goes, so will Ohio
"Freshmen of the 135th General Assembly," Photo by Rachel Baker, State Representative for Ohio’s House District 27.
“As Ohio goes, so goes the nation.”
The famous saying about national elections describes the phenomenon in which presidential candidates who win Ohio typically win the presidency. Since the Civil War, the saying has only been wrong 10 times.
Ohio has been used as a presidential indicator for decades. Can the saying mean more than that?
On Nov. 16, 2022, the Ohio House of Representatives website declared Representative Derek Merrin the speaker of the House for the 135th General Assembly.
“Derek Merrin Sworn in as state representative of the 47th House District for the 132nd General Assembly in January 2017. He will now serve on the 135th General Assembly.” Photo via Ohiohouse.org
On Jan. 3, Representative Jason Stephens was officially declared speaker of the Ohio House.
What happened in the seven weeks between the two declarations is a story of bipartisanship not often seen in Ohio politics.
Minority Leader Allison Russo convinced her caucus to vote for Stephens in the official vote. Normally, the minority party stays out of the way in elections for speaker of the house, allowing the majority party to pick their leader as they see fit. However, this time the Democrats simply could not allow Merrin, the more conservative candidate and much less likely to ever listen to Democrats, to win.
The basis of the deal was that Stephens would be more reasonable than Merrin when working with Democrats.
Derek Merrin is a typical conservative. He signed onto anti-transgender legislation, supported Right to Work legislation, and was a big supporter of recent gun rights bills. Merrin was also the leading representative on Ohio’s six-week abortion ban in 2019.
Jason Stephens is also a typical conservative. He supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade. It is likely that Republicans will introduce a new abortion ban in this General Assembly, as they did in the last with House Bill 598. Since Stephens was not in the House yet, and HB 598 never went to a vote, we do not know exactly what Stephens will do.
When it is time to revisit redistricting maps this year, Democrats believe Stephens will be more likely to support fair maps than Merrin would have.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Equality Ohio’s Public Policy Director Maria Bruno tweeted during the election, “At 2pm today, Ohio’s State Representatives will decide whether they want a speaker who was hand-picked by the most extreme anti LGBTQ group in the state, or a more traditional conservative candidate. Literally no one knows who is going to win.”
After Stephens was elected, she tweeted, “We went from expecting a full court press of anti LGBTQ+ bills to wondering if there’s potential for proactive stuff.”
Stephens’s election mirrors that of Larry Householder, who was only elected Speaker after making a deal with Democrats in 2019. Whether or not this is an indicator of how Stephens’s reign will go remains to be proven.
While all of this occurred in Ohio, the nation was also facing its own speaker of the House election crisis, with 15 rounds of voting to elect Kevin McCarthy.
We must have faith in Ohio. While it has been a source of conservative bigotry for several years, seemingly in competition with other turning-red states across the country for who can be the worst, this is not its history.
Ohio is historically a swing state. I believe we still have that in us. Despite the fact that Republican gerrymandering has been out of control and Ohio does not yet have legal congressional districts, I believe in our future. Young people, especially young liberals, must believe in the state.
I am fed up with the state attacking my rights and the rights of those I love. It can be difficult to picture a future in a state that is going after abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and voting rights, among other issues, but it is still possible. There are people fighting for Ohio’s future.
The aforementioned organization Equality Ohio, as well as the Kaleidoscope Youth Center’s political arm, are fighting anti-LGBTQ+ bills that come through the Ohio Legislature. They show up to every hearing, bring “real” people with them to testify, to show the harm that these bills would do to Ohioans. So far, they have kept these bills from passing.
League of Women Voters of Ohio and Common Cause Ohio are fighting for voting rights and fair maps in Ohio. The redistricting process has been long, lasting years with still no constitutional maps in sight. Yet, they continue the work.
Moms Demand Action is fighting for gun control in Ohio. When House Bill 99, allowing teachers to carry in schools, passed, Moms Demand Action attended and testified at every hearing to advocate for children’s safety.
“A demonstrator holds a sign during a rally at Union Square with Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, and gun safety advocates on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.” Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
At the base of all of these groups are Ohioans, young and old, who are paying attention. They are sharing things that make them upset and staying updated on what the state government is up to. Sure, it is idealistic, but this is the basis of our government.
Just a few years ago, these same statements could have been said about the state of the nation. Many people were ready to give up on America in the wake of Trump’s election and subsequent administration.
Things turned around, and they are getting better at the federal level. Bigotry did not win entirely in 2020, nor in 2022. Things can get better here too.
Maybe, for now, the saying needs to be flipped. As the nation goes, so will Ohio. As the nation improves, so will Ohio. As the nation fights extremism, so will Ohio.