Obama’s Ohio effort spurs House switch

By Marc Kovac

Democrats will hold 52 or 53 of the 99 seats in the Ohio House of Representatives.

COLUMBUS — For the first time in 14 years, Democrats are poised to take control of the Ohio House of Representatives.

With final election results to be certified in coming weeks, it appears that the Democrats will take at least 52 (and possibly 53) of the chamber’s 99 seats. That compares to fewer than 40 Democratic seats a decade ago and a current Republican House majority of 53-46.

Looking at recent elections, the Democrats have picked up a total of 17 seats in the chamber, including four in 2004, seven in 2006 and at least six this year, according to the party.

The takeover can be attributed to President-elect Barack Obama’s massive campaign organization in the state, plus comparable efforts by the state party to get voters to the polls. Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, credited the results to a focus on building relationships with voters at the precinct level, knocking on millions of doors and contacting voters multiple times through Election Day to make sure their ballots were cast.

Though they made no headway in the Senate, Redfern said having a Democratic majority in the Ohio House will help to further Gov. Ted Strickland’s priorities.

The governor has stated a belief that a Democratic Ohio House would aid in implementing education and school funding reform, for example.

“I believe that the Speaker of the House, in many ways, is the second most powerful political position in the state of Ohio,” Strickland said. “... The Speaker of the House sets the calendar, sets the agenda, decides which issues can come to a vote [and] under what conditions, whether or not amendments can be offered. ... And, so, it’s a very important position. ... I think it’s going to be helpful to me to have a partner in the speaker’s position and to have a majority of the vote in the House of Representatives.”

Redfern predicts good things for Strickland in the Statehouse.

“I anticipate over the course of the next two, four and six years that Gov. Strickland will continue to have friends in the Statehouse,” Redfern said. “The only difference now: We’ll be in the majority to help carry that Turnaround Ohio agenda that Ohioans embraced overwhemlingly just a short two years ago.”