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GOP prepares to descend on the Valley
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Governor John Kasich
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Rob Portman
YOUNGSTOWN
The governor, a U.S. senator and a nationally known political strategist, all Republicans, are coming to the Mahoning Valley, a Democratic stronghold.
First up is Karl Rove, a political strategist involved in the major gains achieved by Republicans in the 2010 election. Rove also helped President George W. Bush win in 2000 and 2004.
Rove is the keynote speaker at the 96th annual Mahoning Valley McKinley Club dinner at 6:30 p.m. today at the McKinley Memorial Auditorium in Niles. The club consists of Republicans in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
The dinner is closed to the media, but Rove will have a brief press conference before the event.
A group of protesters will be outside the auditorium to “march, chant and vocally disrupt” Rove, according to an e-mail from those planning the demonstration.
On Thursday, Gov. John Kasich will speak at a Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber luncheon at noon at Leo’s Ristorante in Howland.
Kasich plans to discuss his vision for making Ohio more competitive to businesses and outline his JobsOhio plan, which was signed into law last week. The plan privatizes the state’s economic development efforts.
This would be Kasich’s third public visit to the Mahoning Valley since he took office in January.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman is making his first public visit to the Valley since he took office last month.
Portman will visit V&M Star, a Youngstown company building a $650 million expansion facility, at 2 p.m. Friday to discuss how he can help shape national policies that promote private-sector growth.
Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras said, “It’s not a coincidence that Republicans are trying to burrow into a Democratic base. [Republicans are] definitely trying to make inroads and trying to crack our solid Democratic base.”
Mahoning and Trumbull are two of the most Democratic counties in Ohio.
For example, in the 2010 election, Kasich beat then-incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, 49.04 percent to 47.04 percent statewide. Minor-party and independent candidates received the remaining votes.
But in Mahoning County, Strickland beat Kasich 65.76 percent to 31.07 percent, and 61.41 percent to 34.03 percent in Trumbull County.
“There is no doubt the new Republican administration is interested in the Mahoning Valley,” said Mahoning County Republican Party Chairman Mark Munroe. “Just because the naysayers say there are a lot of Democrats here so Republicans don’t care about this area, doesn’t make it true. John Kasich likes this area. All of the statewides are interested and concerned about the Mahoning Valley.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is expected to be in the Valley for the Friday investiture ceremony for new U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson. Details weren’t available Monday.