The Empire (Ohio GOP Establishment) Strikes Back!

Yes, liberal ideology is driving the DeWine administrations decision making.

Rep. Jim Jordan is seen during a hearing on July 18, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

WHAT IN THE SAM HILL IN GOING ON WITH THE OHIO GOP?

On Fox News this morning, the results of Mike DeWine’s efforts to keep Ohio purple were on full display…..and Jim Jordan spilled the beans. Jordan was not the least bit happy that the Ohio GOP is redrawing his district to make it much more challenging to win.

This is not the first time that Ohio’s liberal GOP has attacked the extremely popular conservative from Ohio.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

“John Boehner tried to draw Mr. Jordan out 10 years ago. It didn’t work then. It won’t work now,” a spokesperson for the Jordan campaign told Fox News. “Mr. Jordan is running for reelection.”

The speculation is that Governor DeWine and Bob Paduchik are trying to accomplish what Boehner could not. Supporters of DeWine and Paduchik - like Ohio GOP treasurer David Johnson believe that bold red conservatives like Reagan and Trump could never win an election for Governor in Ohio.

Clearly, the statewide polls do not bear out Mr. Johnson’s delusions as Ohio trends toward the bold red of the conservative spectrum.

Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Paduchik keep Ohio Ohio’s politics purple instead of being bold red.

Understanding the Ohio Swamp

Jim Jordan is so famous in Ohio that if he decided to run for Governor - he would easily win - he is the hands-down favorite in poll after poll. But early on in 2021, Jim Jordan eliminated himself from the speculation of who our next Governor would be. He said he had a lot of work he wanted to finish in Washington D.C. and would not be competing in the Ohio Governor’s race. 

Congressman Warren Davidson was urged to run for Governor

Another rising star in the Republican party and conservative circles is Congressman Warren Davidson. Many actively pushed Warren Davidson to run for Governor. The scuttlebutt was that if Warren’s district was redrawn poorly, he would jump into the Governor’s race. This directly threatened Governor Mike DeWine that sits on the committee that redraws the Congressional districts. While Warren Davidson’s district was redrawn, it was not done as egregious of manner as Jim Jordan’s. Many political analysts speculate that Jordan got the shaft for not blackmailing the Governor for a better district. That next time, Jordan won’t be as forthcoming on his political plans for the future.

Jim Jordan’s current District is displayed in red

Jim Jordan’s district as redrawn by the Ohio House (red)

Jim Jordan’s district as redrawn by the Ohio Senate (red)

Two proposals for congressional redistricting introduced by Ohio Republicans last week would expand the party’s advantage further into the state. However, they would also alter the district held by the GOP’s Jordan, potentially making the seat a competitive one for Democrats. This has sparked speculation among conservatives that the State party is trying to “oust” the outspoken Jordan.

REDISTRICTING

Any new congressional map requires approval from both the House and Senate and Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature to become law. Ohio Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers. Ohio’s redistricting rules, approved as an anti-gerrymandering reform in 2018, set a Nov. 30 deadline. The new maps would be in effect for the May 2022 primary election.

Ohio is required to redraw its Congressional district lines due to the 2020 Census. Ohio lost one of its 16 seats because of anemic population growth compared with other states. The House and Senate maps differ on “how they crack apart” the Democratic stronghold of Columbus, the state’s capital. Cleveland.com reported both maps would “dilute the city and its suburbs’ Democratic voters by drawing them into districts with Republican, rural, outlying areas.” 

Neither plan is currently likely to get support from Democrats, at least a third of whom would need to sign off on the maps. 

CONSERVATIVES ARE THROWN TO THE WOLVES

The speculation is that conservatives like Jim Jordan and Warren Davidson are so popular that they can afford to have a bit more competition (spreading the risk around). Jordan argues that he worked hard to transform his district along with his supporters. Therefore, giving parts of his district to other moderate Republicans is unfair and significantly increases liberal Democrats within his district.

REFORMING OHIO’S LIBERAL REPUBLICAN PARTY

It has been hard for Conservatives to reform the Republican party. Once Ohio stopped requiring State Conventions for political parties, it has become nearly impossible for local Republicans to have a voice in state politics. When conventions were made optional, both parties favored making deals in smoke-filled backrooms rather than letting Ohio Republicans make decisions in the light of day. In addition, the Ohio Republican party has unashamedly gone so far as to cowardly hide the contact information of State Central Committee members from their website. They must not let State Central Committee members be held accountable by the constituents they represent. 

To compound the issue, the Ohio Republican Party does not list its phone number on its website, and no one is responsive to the email forms on the website in a timely manner. As a result, Ohio Republicans cannot get a hold of their political representatives, and Party leaders like it that way.

Adding to the problem, candidates running for Governor started directly and legally, bribing State Central Committee members with gubernatorial appointments. To this very day, the Ohio legislature has refused to introduce a bill to make these bribes criminal or against Ohio’s ethical code - making Ohio’s ethics code a joke. Why no action to remedy this problem? The State Central Committee is immensely powerful, and candidates fear retribution on their reelection campaigns.

Lastly, State Central Committee members can endorse themselves and use party funds and resources to ensure their reelection. This appalling, unethical, and reprehensible practice has been going on since the 1980s. Moreover, the practice violates the very reasoning for having political officers decided on locally (from the grassroots up) rather than being selected and campaigned for in their districts. All are engineered at the state-level (top-level down). 

OHIO REPUBLICANS CANNOT SUPPORT BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR THEIR STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS. IF REPUBLICANS WANT CHANGE THEY CANNOT VOTE FOR CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT SUPPORT THIS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR.

PLEASE - BEFORE YOU VOTE FOR ANYONE FOR STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE - CALL AND ASK THEM WHERE THEY STAND ON THESE ISSUES!