Ohio primary winners, redistricting vote and leaked opinion on abortion leave many on edge

Donald J. Trump served one term before losing in 2020, but the effects of his reign and his win-at-any-cost attitude continue.

Witness the Republican race for U.S. Senate in Ohio. Think about the near-certainty that U.S. abortion rights will be overturned. And because of the Republican-dominated Ohio Redistricting Commission's refusal to play fair, gerrymandering will continue to silence nearly half of the state's voters and the state will pay extra millions for two primaries.

A minority of registered voters (almost 21% in Ohio and Summit County) did their civic duty last week, picking partisan candidates in statewide, congressional and local races, as well as deciding on a smattering of school levies and other issues.

We’re disappointed and a bit surprised that author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance won in the seven-person Republican race for Senate. He failed to tell us how he would work for Ohio, instead tethering himself to Trump and minimizing past condemnations of Trump.

Vance captured 32% of Republican votes — likely thanks to Trump’s endorsement. Former Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel and state Sen. Matt Dolan were next in the field.

To us, Dolan was the superior candidate. He rejected lies that Trump won the 2020 election and condemned the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Former Gov. Bob Taft was among those who endorsed Dolan and praised his “substantive solutions and vision for our future.”

But we’re in a new era, when the words of local and state leaders carry less weight than those of such polarizing figures as Trump and Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz — who also backed Vance.

More: Lack of competition or enthusiasm? Republicans turned out at twice the rate of Democrats

With low voter turnout, primary candidates who appeal to one-issue voters tend to fare the best. That explains Mandel’s choice of the annoying but memorable slogan “pro-God, pro-gun, pro-Trump.”

It’s also why it’s crucial that a wider range of voters turn out in November, when Vance faces current U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, the Democratic nominee. Voters will need to weigh the 10-term congressman's record and decide whether he is the best to “shepherd” our democracy, as he stated at a Tuesday victory party.

Vance hasn’t yet proven that he can take on issues that matter to the public, including inflation, the government's role, the Russia-Ukraine war and immigration. He's offered no solutions and has even been dismissive about Ukraine.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine easily defeated three challengers, including former congressman and Wadsworth mayor Jim Renacci. For the anti-abortion segment of one-issue voters, DeWine has a solid record, including his support for the so-called Heartbeat Bill.

DeWine will face Democratic primary winner Nan Whaley, who took to Twitter the night before the primary to remind everyone that she has been consistently supportive of abortion rights, unlike opponent John Cranley. Her tweet came after a draft of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion was leaked to the Politico news site.

Whaley, it seems, is in the majority on reproductive rights. Support for Roe v. Wade protections has been the norm for decades, polls show. Whaley might also have the issue of gun policy on her side. DeWine failed to “do something” about gun violence and instead signed a bill that allows carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

Or, there’s the issue of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, on which DeWine serves. On Thursday, the panel continued its outrageous pattern of neglect by passing state legislative maps already struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Democrats also are keeping up the pressure on DeWine by filing a lawsuit concerning records of his meetings with FirstEnergy lobbyists and others involved in the House Bill 6 nuclear bailout law.

Whether enough Ohioans who worry about these issues will turn out for the general election is another matter. We do expect “dark money” to bring us many angry and divisive commercials, when what we’d like to hear is solutions to the many problems our state and nation face.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donald Trump legacy, Republican grip on power affect Ohio