After months of uncertainty over electoral districts and contested candidatesthe first of Ohio’s two primary elections is Tuesday, May 3.
Members of the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau provided answers to voters’ questions during Dispatch presents Columbus Conversations: What do you need to know about this election?”
The panelists were:
- USA TODAY Ohio Bureau Chief Anthony Shoemaker
- Jessie Balmert, USA TODAY Ohio Bureau reporter
- Haley BeMiller, USA TODAY Ohio Bureau reporter
Videos of the discussion hosted by Dispatch Opinion Editor Amelia Robinson can be found here at dispatch.com or in our Facebook Y Youtube pages Excerpts can be read below. They are lightly edited for clarity.
Ohio Politics Explained Podcast:What’s on your primary ballot?
How will this primary be different?
JESSIE BALMERT
For a reason, we are going to have two primaries. So, the first primary, and the one we’re talking about the most, is May 3, and it’s going to have its United States Senate, governor or other state races, your congressional district primaries and a variety of local topics as well. And then because of redistricting, the state House and Senate districts and also this thing called the Central Committee of the state, kind of governing bodies of the Democrats and the Republicans, which will take place later.
I think you’re going to have a pretty typical experience at the polls when you go to vote on those issues; there will only be a couple of races that are not on your ballot.
What should people know about redistricting?
HALEY BEMILLER
Even if we get through the 2022 election with this particular set of maps, some of the groups that have been challenging the maps in the past have suggested that they may come back before the 2024 election and try to shake things up and challenge the constitutionality. So it speaks of a process that may never end. We may hear some of this even after the elections in November this year.
Letters:DeWine, LaRose ‘have shown a total lack of leadership and respect’ for Ohioans
I think he redistricting process in general it has been very confusing for people. There have been a lot of questions in these weeks leading up to the May 3 primary about what will actually be on people’s ballots, will I be able to vote in my congressional race, my legislative race?
For anyone still unsure of what will appear on their ballot next week, there are a couple ways you can check. The Dispatch and our sister newspapers have an online voter guide where you can enter your address and see what will appear on your ballot. There are also those resources available with your local election boardsand the Ohio Secretary of State website as well as.
What are your predictions for the primaries?
JESSIE BALMERT
I am intrigued to see who will win the Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio among Nan Whaley Y john cranley. I think they’re not very well known in Columbus and Cleveland, which are areas that have a lot of Democrats. So it will be interesting to see who broke through in those two markets.
Nan Whaley:In the end, DeWine always goes with the radical part of his party
John Cranley:Under Mike DeWine, Ohio’s middle class is shrinking, young people are not welcome
Then on the Republican side, I think Mike DeWine is likely to win that primary. It’s your thing to lose. But what percentage of the votes does he get? Is it more than 40%? Is it more than 50%? I’m also intrigued to see who comes in second: Is it former US Rep. jim renaccior is all this kind of base support for Joe Blystone will lead to a second place situation?
Plus:Gubernatorial candidate Renacci: Ohio is a failed state that young people don’t want to live in
ANTONIO SHOE
I think the other thing to look at in DeWine’s race is also how Republican voters, are they really looking at how he handled the covid situation and the business closures Y masks and things like that, and what role does that play in that race and whether the right-wing anger against him for some of those things comes out stronger than expected.
Reference-www.dispatch.com