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Count on a large Senate race field

Cleveland-area businessman Bernie Moreno will be the next Republican to declare his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Sherrod Brown, but he won’t be the last. Moreno filed a statement of candidacy this week with the Federal Election Commission and will almost certainly make a public announcement Tuesday at a craft brewery in the Cincinnati area that he will run for the job in 2024. Moreno has repeatedly praised former President Donald Trump, who will play a key role in the Republican primary and the general election in Ohio, and taken some shots at ...

Few will see election law changes on May 2

There are a number of changes being implemented starting with this primary election on May 2. But because turnout will be low this year, most people won’t see the changes until the 2024 presidential election. The change getting the most attention is a requirement that those voting early in-person or at polling locations on the day of the election now have to show a specific type of photo identification. Those voters need one of the following: a driver’s license, a state ID card, a passport, a passport card or a military ID. No longer permissible are bank statements, pay stubs, ...

A special election in August unlikely

There is a movement among a number of Republicans in the General Assembly to put a state constitutional amendment on a special Aug. 8 ballot to require future amendments to get at least 60 percent of the vote, rather than a simply majority, to win approval. While the bill is moving quickly in the state Senate and likely will pass there, passage appears less certain in the Ohio House as Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, doesn’t favor putting that measure on a special August ballot. But he hasn’t ruled it out. The Legislature in December voted to eliminate special August ...

Norfolk Southern CEO consistently noncommittal

During two U.S. Senate committee hearings, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has remained consistent: he’s sorry for the Feb. 3 derailment that caused the release of toxic chemicals in East Palestine, his company will “make it right” and he supports some rail reforms to make sure a similar incident doesn’t occur again. Also consistent is his reluctance to commit to specifics. U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., aggressively questioned Shaw on Thursday as part of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He became so frustrated with Shaw’s answers that at one point ...

Opponents seeking to derail Vance bill

During his testimony in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works about the East Palestine rail disaster, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance touted his bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023 and vowed to fight for it even though it faces opposition from fellow Republicans. It didn’t take long for a group of Republican organizations to come out strongly against the proposal. In an open letter to Congress intended to influence Republican members, leaders of 18 conservative groups urged the bill be rejected. The letter reads: “The legislation offers a slew of significant ...

Brown, Vance find common ground

When Republican Rob Portman represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate, there weren’t many national issues where he and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, found common ground. There were some, such as supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia and the infrastructure bill. But the two worked well together on issues important to Ohio. It was uncertain whether Brown would forge a similar relationship with Republican J.D. Vance, who succeeded Portman. After all, Vance said he opposed the infrastructure bill and questioned U.S. help for Ukraine. Brown, a liberal, and Vance, a ...