Ohio Politics Explained podcast: Primary results and the Kansas abortion vote

Anna Staver, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
April 14, 2022; Delaware, Ohio, USA; George Miller, 88, of Delaware, casts his ballot during early voting at the Delaware County Board of Elections. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch
April 14, 2022; Delaware, Ohio, USA; George Miller, 88, of Delaware, casts his ballot during early voting at the Delaware County Board of Elections. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

Nine out of 10 Ohio voters ignored the state's second primary on Tuesday. But strong support for abortion access in Kansas caught the attention of activists here.

In this week's episode of Ohio Politics Explained, we break down what it all means.

The show is a podcast from the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau that catches you up on the state's political news in 15 minutes or less. This week, host Anna Staver was joined by reporter Haley BeMiller.

1) Ohio's second primary results

Just 8% of registered voters cast a ballot in Tuesday's unusual second primary.

And when the votes were counted, two incumbent Republican representatives lost their races, two Somali Americans were poised to make history and two nurses will face each other for one of the state's most competitive districts.

2) What Kansas' abortion vote tells us

Voters in Kansas also went to the polls Tuesday and told their state lawmakers not to impose new abortion restrictions.

The ballot measure would have amended the Kansas state constitution to say there was no right to an abortion, paving the way for the Republican legislature to impose new restrictions.

It was the first test of popular support for the procedure since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections and sent the issue to the states.

Pro-Choice Ohio says it's a clear sign that majority of Americans are on their side. But Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis doesn't think the results in a potential 2023 election would be the same.

3) Do something and Dayton

It's been three years since a gunman murdered nine people and injured 27 others in a mass shooting in Dayton's Oregon District.

And it's been three years since survivors called on Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to do something.

DeWine says he's done what he can with a state legislature that opposes almost all Second Amendment restrictions. But former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who is challenging him for the governorship, says DeWine's actions have been nowhere close to enough.

4) A hiccup in helping veterans

Burn pits, which were how the military burned its trash overseas, have been making headlines in recent years because they made veterans sick.

The Department of Defense says 3.5 million veterans were exposed to toxic chemicals from these pits and some have developed respiratory issues or cancer.

Congress wrote and passed a bill to aid those impacted by these pits, but the legislation stalled this week when Senate Republicans, including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, voted against it.

Listen to "Ohio Politics Explained" on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.

The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio politics podcast: Primary results and the Kansas abortion vote