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So, why is Harris buying ads in Mahoning Valley?

The presidential campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris is spending $90 million over the next three weeks airing commercials in battleground areas as well as Youngstown and Toledo even though the vice president has essentially no chance of beating Republican Donald Trump in Ohio. The Harris campaign said the “$90 million paid media buy will target voters in every battleground state and expand the campaign’s reach into markets like Marquette, Alpena (both in Michigan), Toledo, Erie and Youngstown — markets where the Trump campaign is ceding the airwaves as their candidate spends this ...

Race spotlights abortion and reproductive rights

Abortion and women’s reproductive rights are major election issues, particularly since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. It’s no different in the U.S. Senate race in Ohio between Sherrod Brown, the incumbent Democratic senator seeking his fourth six-year term, and Republican Bernie Moreno, a former car dealer and blockchain owner. The matchup is considered one of the most competitive Senate races in the country and could decide which political party controls the upper chamber. In Ohio, voters approved a constitutional amendment in November to ensure ...

Campaign money flows more easily to incumbents

In political elections, money is the main reason for the success of candidates. The more you get, the better your chances for winning — and if you’re an incumbent with a big financial lead over your opponent, you’ve got a better than 98% chance of getting reelected. Political action committees, the driving force that funds congressional campaigns, are much more likely to give money to incumbents. In the two congressional races on the Nov. 5 ballot in the Mahoning Valley, there is evidence. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the incumbents — Republican Dave Joyce in the 14th ...

What Vance brings to the GOP’s presidential ticket

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, didn’t select Ohio’s Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate for his political experience. Vance’s fewer than 19 months in elected office probably works to his advantage. Prior to Trump winning the presidency in 2016, he had never held public office. Trump has successfully convinced many that elected officials — particularly those who serve in Congress or presidential administrations — are part of the “D.C. swamp” that has hurt the country. Vance wasn’t selected so Trump could win Ohio, once a swing state ...

Johnson’s resignation led to a series of moves

Republican Bill Johnson’s Jan. 21 resignation from the U.S. House put in motion a series of moves during the past few weeks that led to the election of his replacement and the appointment of two others to state legislative positions. Also, those two Republican appointees won’t have to run in a primary and when Democrats select a state Senate candidate on July 16, that person will go straight to the ballot as the party’s nominee without a primary. While we’ve seen candidates appointed by political parties before without a primary, this is the first time there will be three in ...

How to address America’s historic drug shortage crisis

The United States is facing an unprecedented drug shortage, with a record 323 active drug shortages at the start of 2024—the highest number since 2001. Two major factors are driving this crisis: foreign government subsidies and regulatory failures by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). America has become dangerously dependent on foreign manufacturers—particularly in China and India—for generic drugs that account for 91% of all U.S. prescriptions. In 2000, China and India accounted for 25% of the global share of active pharmaceutical ingredient filings. By 2021, India ...