Portage Democrats Endorse Local Candidates, YES Vote on Issue 33

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

Portage Democrats Endorse Local Candidates, YES Vote on Issue 33

Ravenna, OH | The Portage County Democratic Central Committee met Wednesday to unanimously approve the endorsement of the following local candidates for the 2024 General Election:

Ohio House, 35th District
Mark Curtis

Ohio House, 72nd District
Nathaniel Adams

County Commissioner
Carmen Lisa Laudato

County Clerk of Courts
Jill Fankhauser

County Sheriff
Jon Barber

County Treasurer
John Kennedy

County Engineer
Larry D. Jenkins Jr., P.E.,P.S.

County Coroner
Dr. Dean DePerro

“The Portage County Democratic Party is proud to throw our full support behind this amazing slate of candidates,” Portage Dems Vice Chair Christopher Clevenger said.

“We’ve got a team of public servants who have spent their lives fighting for Portage County, fighting to put our working families first. And we’re ready to take that fight to the ballot box this November.”

The Portage Dems also voted unanimously to endorse supporting a YES vote on Issue 33, a proposed operating funds levy for Ravenna School District.

“Ravenna School District hasn’t passed an operating funds levy since 2005, all while costs have gone up, and state funding has gone down,” Clevenger said.

“Passing this levy will be crucial to recruiting and retaining educators and staff, adding programs and services for students, expanding extra-curricular activities, and so much more. And we’ll be reaching out to every voter in the district to share that message.”

Issue 33 is a 3.25-million dollar 5-year emergency levy that, if passed, will cost Ravenna property owners less than $25 per month for every $100,000 of appraised value by the Portage County Auditor.

A full list of endorsed Democrats can be found online at www.portagedems.org/candidates

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Portage County Democratic Party Statement on Passage of GOP led Legislation to Effectively End Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 10, 2023

Portage County Democratic Party Statement on Passage of GOP led Legislation to Effectively End Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives 

Ravenna, OH | Portage County Democratic Party Vice Chair Christopher Clevenger issued the following statement after Republicans in Columbus passed a dangerous bill aimed at silencing the voices of Ohio Voters:

Today, Republicans in the Ohio House, and our own Representative Gail Pavliga, turned their backs on Ohio Voters in favor of special interests and out-of-state billionaires. And while thousands of Ohioans from both sides of the aisle rose to oppose this dangerous legislation, Representative Pavliga chose to put her own party over the people.

House Joint Resolution 1 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 are direct attacks on our Democracy. These pieces of legislation would dramatically change the citizen-led ballot initiative process, weakening the power of Ohio voters’ at the polls, increasing the threshold for citizen-led initiatives to become law from 50%+1 to a supermajority of 60%. 

This legislation will create an August Special Election - an election that Republicans in the House rallied to eliminate less than a year ago - to decide whether or not Ohioans will have the right to make changes to the very Constitution that governs them. All because the Ohio Republican Party fears the proposed ballot initiative to protect a person's right to make their own fundamental healthcare decisions. 

And when Ohioans gathered at the State House to voice their concerns and exercise their First Amendment Rights, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens shamefully cut the live feed, and forcibly removed peaceful protesters from what should always be the halls of Democracy for our state. 

Special interests groups from outside of our state lobbied to create this Special Election on August 8th, only to permanently rig Ohio’s constitution in their favor. This would end majority rule as we know it, and create an unnecessary Special Election that will cost Ohio’s taxpayers at least $20 Million. Simply put, it’s a Special Election for Special Interests. 

The Portage County Democratic Party will join the Ohio Democratic Party and our partners across the state to fight this Republican power grab, and to protect Ohioans’ fundamental right of One Person, One Vote.

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