Ashland County Republicans celebrate new headquarters on milestone day

Barry Fortune
·2 min read
Guests mingle at the Ashland County Republican Party headquarters open house at 141 E. Main Street on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE
Guests mingle at the Ashland County Republican Party headquarters open house at 141 E. Main Street on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE

ASHLAND – The Ashland County Republican Party celebrated its grand opening in a new downtown location on a notable birthday.

Mayor Matt Miller told the crowd on Wednesday the Republican Party was established on July 6, 168 years ago.

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“We chose this date,” said Miller, “and if I am honest with you, we never knew that on this date, on July 6 of 1854, the Republican Party was officially founded. I am so excited that you all chose to be here on this historic night.”

Director of Special Projects Stephanie Bull applauded the group's move.

"We are very visible to the public," she said. "It is a new space and I think we are breathing new life into the Republican Party in Ashland County.”

New location for Republican Party is site of Good Deed Entertainment

Guests arrive at the Ashland County Republican Party headquarters for the open house at 141 E. Main Street on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE
Guests arrive at the Ashland County Republican Party headquarters for the open house at 141 E. Main Street on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE

The group's new home on East Main Street takes up the front half of the same building that houses Good Deed Entertainment, an independent film studio owned and operated by Scott Donley.

Though he doesn't "get involved a lot with politics," Donley, a Republican, said, he was asked by the mayor about sharing space with the party.

Good Deed Entertainment owner Scott Donley, Republican Central Committee Chair Jane Roland, Ashland County Republican Party Chairman and city Mayor Matt Miller, Common Pleas Judge-elect Dave Stimpert and former county Republican Party Chairman Robert Desanto chat at an event celebrating the Republican Party's new home in Donley's building on East Main Street downtown.

“I thought about it as I wasn’t in town at the time. When I got back in town we sat down and discussed it and what his plans were for the building," Donley recalled. "His plans were very basic for what they wanted to use it for. For me it was I didn’t want all these posters all over the place. Their team did a phenomenal job with all these flags and the place looks very nice. I am very happy it is going to be here.”

Ashland Area Economic Development Coordinator Aaron Pauly called the downtown, "front-facing location" a good spot for the party, and Mayor Miller agreed.

GDE owner Scott Donley answers a question posed by Mayor Matt Miller at an open house celebrating the Ashland County Republican Party's move to a new site downtown.
GDE owner Scott Donley answers a question posed by Mayor Matt Miller at an open house celebrating the Ashland County Republican Party's move to a new site downtown.

“We are so fortunate that Scott and Rosemarie Donley agreed to allow us to occupy probably the best downtown storefront in the city of Ashland,” he said. “We have a great space and access to everything we need.

“It is a great way to welcome people to Ashland," Miller continued. "The first thing they will see is the Republican Party headquarters with a row of patriotic American flags.”

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland County embraces new Republican Party headquarters downtown