Ryan, Vance size up each other

May 20, 2022

J.D. Vance and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan clearly are not impressed by each other. During interviews I recently conducted with Vance, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Ohio, and Ryan, his Democratic opponent, they both sort of dismissed each other. “I see him as a fraud,” Vance said of Ryan. “I see him as a guy who’s been in Congress for 20 years, who’s been on nearly every side of every issue. He’s been pro-life a few years ago, and now has come out in favor of unlimited late-term abortion even up to 40 weeks. He was very pro-defund the police when he was running for ...

Local primary winners, losers

May 13, 2022

There were several fascinating storylines from the recent primary election in the Mahoning Valley. While turnout was poor, it was better than expected. It was 25.65 percent in Trumbull County, where county races and local issues were on the ballot. It was 23.04 percent in Mahoning County, ...

U.S. Senate primary drilldown

May 6, 2022

Thanks to the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and a $15 million contribution from a benefactor to a super political action committee, J.D. Vance went from middle of the pack in the often-nasty Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Ohio to nominee. Without Trump’s endorsement, Vance, an author and venture capitalist, would not have won. And without Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and Vance’s mentor, giving $15 million to Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC supporting the candidate, Trump wouldn’t have given Vance much consideration. Thiel’s contribution was the ...

Trump influence to be tested

April 29, 2022

Possibly taking inspiration from Tommy DeVito, Joe Pesci’s character in the movie Goodfellas, J.D. Vance, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, said: “You’ve got to be yourself. I think that’s one of the mistakes, by the way, that a lot of these clowns have made in the primary where they haven’t learned anything from the substance of how (Donald) Trump governed. They try to act like Trump, but you’re not Trump.” Apparently the other Republicans running for the U.S. Senate nomination in Ohio amuse him. They likely feel the same about Vance, who has been accused of ...

Second primary still uncertain

April 22, 2022

It came as no surprise that the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the fourth set of state legislative maps; they were almost identical to the third set ruled unconstitutional. But the state could find itself in a real bind as Secretary of State Frank LaRose — a Republican member of the Ohio ...

Trump rally goes elsewhere

April 15, 2022

After being rejected at least twice — by the Canfield and Portage County fairgrounds — former President Donald Trump will have a rally April 23 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Mahoning and Portage counties were once reliably Democratic — particularly Mahoning. But that’s not the ...