August 2nd. Circle the date on your calendar, or you will most definitely forget it.
That’s the date now set for the primary election for state representatives and state senators. It will determine which candidates from each party go on to square off in November’s general election. Which in turn will determine the direction of the state.
That should scare you into making it a priority.
Fun with redistricting
As you might recall, this primary was supposed to take place in May. That’s when the primary for Congress and state-wide offices took place. Except the commission charged with drawing district lines for state reps and senators refused to comply with the mandates of Ohio voters and the state constitution to draw the districts with fair representation.
Correction. The folks from a certain political party on that commission refused to comply, and instead did whatever it took to ensure a continued Republican stranglehold on the state.
The gerrymandered maps they drew were repeatedly thrown out by the Ohio Supreme Court. They went through the charade of hiring bipartisan outside consultants to draw compliant maps. Then certain members of the commission rejected those maps at the eleventh hour and foisted the same old gerrymandering as their final answer.
It all came to a head when the GOP found a friendly federal court judge who let them have their partisan way. We now have blatantly partisan GOP maps. But at least we can have an election.
And boy, are these maps a doozy! Make sure to check which district you’ve been corralled into, because you might be surprised. Live in central Toledo? You might just be drawn into a district that includes Wood and Ottawa counties. And your current district 2 state Senator is a right wing toady named Theresa Gavarone. Who lost in the May primary for US Congress to even bigger nut job JR Majewski, a January 6 whackadoo. Who the Ohio Senate district 2 rep might be in the future is anyone’s guess.
Live in west Toledo? You might also be in Senate district 2 with Wood and Ottawa counties.
Check the Ohio Secretary of State website, and prepare to be amazed.
Vote like our future depends on it
Ah, who are we kidding. Voter turn-out is always low in state primaries, and there is rarely if ever an election in August. It’s the height of vacation season. If turnout breaks five percent we’ll be surprised. It’ll all have been a dream.
And quite possibly a nightmare. Those of you still living in the parts of Toledo in Ohio Senate district 11 will have quite a choice to make come November. Running unopposed for the D nomination is current state rep and former Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks Hudson. Unopposed on the R side is none other than Tony “Killer” Dia. We’ve already wasted enough ink on that crankcase. Suffice it to say, um, No.
Also notable on the ballot in August is the race for the D nomination in new House district 43 between Toledo City Council’s Dr. Michele Grim and council wannabe Daniel Ortiz. These two are friends and compatriots when not running against each other. But since a grand total of about fifteen of you reading this will actually vote on August 2nd, we won’t waste time handicapping the race.
So go ahead. Circle the date on your calendar. That way, when the day comes, and you have no idea why you circled a strange Tuesday in late summer, you can decide to take the day off lounging by the pool.
Or vote. Because we’re better off with representatives who can read a calendar, and realize this is twenty twenty two.
