Election Day Is Here. Vote!
It’s Election Day, everybody! I hope everyone has a plan to go vote today.
Tonight, I’ll be going live around 7:45 after the polls close.
You can watch at theangrydem.com, theangryohioan.com, or on Facebook, YouTube, and X.
I’m just going to be hanging out, watching the results come in, giving my comments, and maybe having a few guests swing by as the night unfolds.
Below, I’ll include some resources that may help you before you head to the polls.
Google your county name and “Board of Elections.” Your local board of elections usually has everything you need, including polling locations, sample ballots, candidate lists, and basic voting information.
https://www.waynecountyoh.gov/
https://www.boe.ohio.gov/ashland/
https://www.boe.ohio.gov/medina/
https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/
And please, take a few minutes to look at your sample ballot before you go.
Know who is actually running in these races. Do not just walk in and let the first name you recognize make the decision for you.
There are candidate lists available, and Vote411 from the League of Women Voters is another great resource. It can show you polling locations, sample ballots, candidate information, and what you need to bring with you to vote.
It may be raining, so take an umbrella.
The best times to go are usually outside the rush hours.
Avoid before work, lunch, and right after work if you can.
If you go during one of the random slower parts of the day, you will probably be in and out.
And honestly, this is a midterm primary, so it should not be anything like waiting in line during a presidential year.
The Statewide Races I’m Watching
The first race I’m watching is the Republican primary for governor.
Vivek Ramaswamy is the endorsed GOP candidate, but Casey Putsch, also known online as Casey the Car Guy, has been getting a lot of support on social media. He has not raised a ton of money, so the question is whether that online energy actually translates into votes.
I do not think the real question is whether Vivek wins. I think the real question is how much he wins by. That margin will tell us something about how real the online grassroots energy around Casey actually was, and the actual popularity of Vivek.
The attorney general race between Elliot Forhan and John Kulewicz. John is the endorsed Democratic candidate, and Elliot has some baggage. I do not know if everybody knows the actual stories behind Elliot Forhan’s baggage, but to be perfectly honest, it seems like some of it was overblown and turned into a smear campaign. He definitely has people who strongly support him, but I do not know if that will be enough to overcome the Democratic endorsement.
See some Elliot news below
Then there is the Secretary of State race, which is probably the one everyone is paying attention to statewide. Bryan Hambley is running against Allison Russo. Russo is the establishment Democrat, the House Minority Leader, and basically the party’s candidate. Hambley is the grassroots candidate. He has built a strong campaign, raised a hell of a lot of money, and created real energy around his race.
If Brian Hambley wins, it will be considered an upset, but also somehow expected. I know that sounds contradictory, but that is exactly how this race feels. If Allison Russo pulls it off, that will also feel natural because she is the party-backed candidate. But it would also feel a little unnatural because Hambley has clearly built something real.
See my interview with the candidates below
Northern Ohio Congressional Races
Obviously, I’m watching Ohio’s 7th District. There are eight candidates in this race, and they are going to be splitting up votes like a Thanksgiving turkey.
I can see this race going a lot of different ways. There are definitely candidates people consider favorites, but I do not know how far that goes when you have this many people dividing the field. This could be a blowout, or it could be a total toss-up where almost anyone can win.
See my interviews and write ups below
I’m also watching Ohio’s 9th Congressional District Republican primary, which is fascinating.
The incumbent is the Iron Babushka (tm D.J. Byrnes) herself, Marcy Kaptur. But Republicans are throwing a lot at this seat because they think she may be vulnerable.
Josh Williams, Derek Merrin, Alea Nadeem, Madison Sheahan, and Charles Kinsel are all in the mix.
And they are raising serious money. Williams has raised around $800,000. Merrin has raised around $760,000. Nadeem has raised around $700,000. They are fighting like hell over there because they think this is their shot.
To be perfectly honest, I would not bet against Marcy Kaptur no matter what the political landscape looks like or how much money Republicans raise.
Derek Merrin may be the favorite to win the primary, but Josh Williams has raised more money, and Nadeem could possibly slide in if the others split votes.
Who knows, maybe one of the other candidates catches just enough support to squeak through. It is almost like Ohio’s 7th District, but for Republicans.
Ohio’s 14th District is another one I’m paying attention to. On the Republican side, Nicole Frenchko is to primary David Joyce. It ain’t gonna happen, but she is out there.
On the Democratic side, Maria Jukic, Carl Setzer, and Bill O’Neill are competing for the nomination. What surprised me most is how little money has been raised in that race. Maria is the top fundraiser with only about $21,000. Carl has around $13,000. Bill O’Neill did not raise anything. I do not know if the plan was just to win the primary without fundraising, but considering the year Democrats may have, I expected a lot more money to go into that race.
See my interviews below
The Local Races That I am Looking Forward To
Moving into the local races, there are a few statehouse races I’m watching closely.
House District 18 is one of them. Gabe Crenshaw, Samuel Gruber, Peter Hoffman, and Davida Russell are all competing for the Democratic nomination. That is a race worth watching because these local primaries are where the future of the party actually gets shaped, whether people want to admit it or not.
House District 19 is another big one. Dionna Gore, Cheryl Perez, and Nicole Sigurdson are all competing for the Democratic nomination. Nicole is the endorsed candidate in that race, but I would not count out Dionna or Cheryl. Nicole has been carrying some baggage that I do not think she has fully shaken, and that has rallied a lot of people against her.
There is also a Democratic write-in candidate in House District 19, Azaadjeet Singh. To be perfectly honest, I did not know about him until he texted me a couple days ago, but I wish him well.
State Senate District 21 is also interesting to me. Ken Smith, the incumbent, is facing Dolores Gray Ford. I watched their League of Women Voters forum, and you can read my write-up in the link below. It should go without saying that Ken Smith, being the incumbent, is also the endorsed candidate.
Read my LWV roundup below
County Council Races to Watch
Cuyahoga County Council Districts 3 and 11.
In County Council District 3, incumbent Martin J. Sweeney is facing Anise Mayo. I do not think this is going to be much of a competition. I expect Sweeney to run away with it. But trust me, I love surprises.
County Council District 11 is much more interesting. Shirley Smith, Ebony Spano, and Christine McIntosh are all running for the seat, and there was no endorsement in that race. I have met each of them on multiple occasions, and I think this is going to be a very interesting race to watch once the results start coming in.
Tonight, We Watch the Results
Again, I’ll be going live around 7:45 after the polls close to watch the results come in. You can watch at theangrydem.com, theangryohioan.com, or on Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Make a plan.
Look up your polling location.
Check your sample ballot. Know who is running.
Bring an umbrella if it is raining.
Vote.