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David Skolnick

DeWine brushes over economy

Gov. Mike DeWine’s State of the State address lasted an hour and only once did he utter the word “economy” — and it had little to do with Ohio’s economy. While outlining a number of his education initiatives early in the speech and right after talking about child care access grants, DeWine said: “By doing all of these things, we will help more families. Businesses will find more workers, and Ohio’s economy will thrive.” That was it. In a copy of the speech, provided by DeWine’s office, there is a section called “accomplishments” toward the end. The section is ...

Trumbull GOP infighting roars on

Trumbull County Republicans are likely to do well on the Nov. 5 ballot in spite of the infighting among those involved in the party. The party has had several internal arguments that led to the ouster of one chairman and the resignations of two others, including one after publicly criticizing several party officials for quitting. In February, an effort by some party officials to change bylaws — including having endorsements, permitting sanctions and requiring annual dues — was squashed by vocal objectors. The latest chapter in the party battle focuses on a political action ...

Could the Valley abandon Sherrod Brown?

Sherrod Brown, considered one of the most vulnerable U.S. Senate Democratic incumbents, has enjoyed widespread popularity for years in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. But he may not get the needed support from the two counties, both former Democratic strongholds, in the Nov. 5 general election as he faces Bernie Moreno, the Republican nominee backed by former President Donald Trump. And Trump, who has won Ohio twice, will be at the top of the Republican ticket in the general election making it that much harder for Brown to get reelected. Since Brown beat then-incumbent Mike DeWine in ...

Some surprising margins of victory

While there weren’t any major shocks with the primary election results, the margins of victory for some were surprising. With the Republican Senate Campaign Committee bankrolling and essentially running the reelection campaign of state Sen. Sandra O’Brien of Lenox, her victory over ...

Old guard vs. Trump in Ohio

The Republican primary for the U.S. Senate is a battle between old-guard Republicans and Donald Trump, who will be the party’s presidential nominee for the third consecutive time, and his many supporters. The old guard, led by Gov. Mike DeWine and former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, support state Sen. Matt Dolan. Dolan has given $10 million of his personal wealth to his campaign and has struggled to raise money from donors. Trump and his supporters have endorsed Bernie Moreno, a former luxury car dealer and blockchain business owner. Moreno has given $4.2 million out of his pocket to ...

State Republicans back O’Brien in race against Loychik

Ohio Republican leaders are going all out to help state Sen. Sandra O’Brien turn back the challenge of state Rep. Mike Loychik in the GOP primary. The Republican Senate Campaign Committee gave $254,616 to O’Brien’s campaign between Feb. 7 and Feb. 23 in in-kind contributions for ...