Our view: Supreme Court highlights importance of Ohio's August primary
The recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and ending a constitutional right to abortion has generated plenty of controversy.
What cannot be overlooked with this ruling is the importance the current top national court is placing on state legislatures. Whether you agree with the court's decision or not, it is clear these bodies now have more authority to govern Ohioans' lives.
While residents don’t have a vote on who sits on the U.S. Supreme Court, they do have a direct say in who serves in Ohio’s legislature.
In Ohio, the first thing to do is to pay attention to and participate in our August primary.
State Republicans inability to approve legislative maps that met state constitutional muster - according to Ohio's GOP controlled Supreme Court - forced the state to hold two primary elections this year. We have already voted on local, national and statewide offices. We are now being asked to select party representatives for Ohio's House and Senate districts.
In Licking County, this includes the race for House District 68 between Rep. Mark Fraizer and Republican challenger Thad Claggett. It is a rematch from the primary in 2020 that was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The district includes Newark, Granville and Johnstown.
The reality in Licking County mirrors that across much of Ohio in that the primary election often serves as the one that decides the race. It would be fairly shocking for a Democrat to win in the county, so it is even more important for voters to pay attention to this off-cycle summer election.
State legislators already had incredible power over our lives. They determine how schools are financed, how much of an incentive to give Intel, how available guns should be and how much in taxes you should pay. Now, they will have the power to decide how abortion and reproductive rights will be restricted.
Their power may even be expanded in the future. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court review other precedents, which if overturned, could give state legislatures the ability to restrict gay marriage or even the availability of contraceptives.
Voters must educate themselves to ensure the legislature represents the general will of the populace. The Advocate will be providing a virtual forum between Claggett and Fraizer to help voters learn about their beliefs and visions for the area.
But voters also must get involved early in the process if they are unhappy with their choices. There is a dearth of competition in many races.
District 69, which includes Pataskala, has no primary election as Rep. Kevin Miller, a Republican, and Democrat Charlotte Owens, face no inter-party challenger. No Democrat filed for the District 68 race.
If you are unhappy with the choices for office, now is the time to begin organizing for the 2024 races. A successful campaign takes a good candidate, time and money. People interested in running for office should contact their local election boards for information.
Voting has begun in the August primary. Voting may be done at the election board, 20 S. Second St., Newark, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays with extended and weekend hours closer to Election Day.
It may be easy to dismiss such a summer election as unimportant - and we have great fears about horrendous turnout - but we believe it is critical for people to participate to ensure the results are reflective of the broader community.
Editorial Board
Jim Bidigare
Olivia Biggs
Tim Huffman
Paddy Kutz
Benjamin Lanka
Jody Richter
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Our view: Supreme Court highlights import of Ohio's August primary
