Ohio Democrats Make Small Gains at State Level Amid Republican Wave

Capitol Partners Ohio? ?

While Ohio Republicans continue to dominate races at the top of the ticket, minority leaders in the Ohio House and Senate found silver lining in what was otherwise a gloomy election day by gaining two seats in each chamber.??

BY THE NUMBERS. House Republicans will enter the next General Assembly with a 65-34 supermajority, down slightly from their current 67-32 advantage. Republicans will lose their two-thirds majority, which is needed for emergency clauses; however, they will retain a three-fifths supermajority, allowing them to override vetoes.??

Significant losses for Republicans came in Franklin County, home to Columbus, which continues its shift blue, especially in the suburbs. Democrat Crystal Lett defeated Republican Senator Stephanie Kunze in district 11, and Grove City Council member Mark Sigrist won an open seat in the southern portion of the county. Both districts were drawn far more democratic after the latest round of redistricting.??

Franklin County and Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) are the only two urban county districts to shift further blue in 2024.?

Republicans also maintained control of the Ohio Senate, securing a 24-9 supermajority despite some close contests. Democrat pickups included Rep. Willis Blackshear’s win in Dayton’s 6th District, and Rep. Beth Liston’s win in Franklin County. Senate Republicans retained key seats, including those held by Sen. Jerry Cirino and Rep. Tom Patton, both of whom were facing strong Democratic challengers.?

STATE OF PLAY. Now that the general election has concluded, caucuses in each chamber are expected to vote on their leadership teams for the next General Assembly in the coming weeks.??

All eyes are on House Republicans as there is an ongoing battle to determine who will hold the Speaker’s gavel. Current Speaker Jason Stephens was elected Speaker last session with support from Democratic members. Term-limited Senate President Matt Huffman is moving over to the House next term and will challenge Speaker Stephens for the gavel with all Republican caucus members. There may not be a definitive winner until the full House vote in early January.??

If Stephens prevails, the House will be less conservative, as his support from Democratic members will require some compromise. If Senate President Huffman wins the gavel, the House will be more socially conservative.?

BIG TICKET ITEMS: Big non-operating budget issues that the Ohio legislature will have front and center in the new General Assembly include:?

• HOUSING:? State Sen. Michelle Reynolds (R-Columbus) chaired a bi-cameral, bi-partisan special committee to address the state’s housing issues and?released a report . Expect bills to be introduced to address these issues.? ?

• ENERGY GENERATION: Ohio has large multi-billion-dollar development investments from companies such as Intel, Honda, and Google coming online in the next 5 – 10 years. The concern now is how to generate the power for those plants in a responsible way .?? ?

• NUCLEAR GENERATION: Ohio is home to two nuclear power plants along the coast of Lake Erie. What to do with those plants (shutter, expend, add) will be a big topic in the 2025 legislative session. ? ?

• RENEWABLES: Ohio continues its general opposition to solar and renewables. Projects are ongoing, but opponents and farm owners delay the process. ? ?

• FRESH WATER: Organizations in Ohio are bringing attention to the “water economy” and highlighting fresh water-related jobs and technologies. ? ?

• DEFENSE AND AEROSPACE: Ohio is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and hundreds of defense and aerospace vendors.?