Chairman’s Update 11/08/20

Election Day was once again a success for Republicans across Ohio. We held the supermajority in the Ohio House, electing great conservative leaders who will represent our values and voices in the Statehouse. President Trump once again swept Ohio, winning the state by nearly the same margin he won by in 2016 – 8%. As I said on election night, it was the president’s America First policies that resonated with Ohioans, along with a general conservative message that propelled state Republicans to leadership roles. Ohio Republicans also picked up seats in the Ohio Senate, maintaining the conservative majority there as well.

The Democrats’ messaging of defunding police, far-left socialist policies, raising taxes, and forcing government-run healthcare on Americans simply does not resonate in Ohio. We even flipped Mahoning County red. Ohio Democrats’ hopes to flip Republican seats and suburban districts turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking.

I am incredibly proud of our Republican candidates and all the hard work they put in to ensure another victorious election year in Ohio.

As you all know, I support our President and I believe in fair and secure elections. We need to ensure that every legal vote is counted, no illegal votes are counted, and all sides are able to observe the process, just like in Ohio. That’s why as soon as November 3rd, Ohio Republican Party and Ohio Trump/Victory staff headed to Pennsylvania and Michigan to help make sure that there were no inconsistencies with the voting process in those states. It’s crucial that all Americans are confident in our election process and its outcomes.

Lastly, there are two elections still to come that need our attention. The coming runoff elections in Georgia will decide who controls the U.S. Senate. Senator Portman needs to keep his conservative colleagues, so we must do all we can to support Senator David Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler

DeWine Continues COVID Fight with New Health Director

On Sunday, Governor DeWine released an open letter to the people of Ohio leading up to the election calling for unity and renewed commitment to fighting the coronavirus.

“Today, and for some time to come, we also share a common enemy…an enemy that is relentless and clearly on the march. This enemy has invaded our nation, stealing nearly 230,000 American lives and at least 5,300 Ohio lives–all on our own soil,” said Governor DeWine. “Throughout our history, in the face of a shared enemy, we have come together as a people, whether we were in the midst of a war or a national disaster, such as a flood or tornado.”

A video recording of Governor DeWine reading the letter is available by clicking  this link.

On Thursday, Governor DeWine announced multiple key additions to the existing administration at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

Director Stephanie McCloud: Director McCloud previously served as Governor DeWine’s administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, managing an agency of 1,800 colleagues and over $28 billion in assets. She has considerable experience in the area of mental health and addiction treatment which is a priority in Ohio’s health improvement plan.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff: Dr. Vanderhoff previously served for more than a decade as a Senior Vice President and as the Chief Medical Officer at OhioHealth. He has years of experience leading large teams in successfully dealing with important healthcare issues in Ohio and prepared OhioHealth to deal with the threat of Ebola and the H1N1 flu pandemic.

Senior Deputy Lance Himes: Himes had previously served as the interim director of ODH where he has played an integral role in running and managing many aspects of the pandemic response operation. He will lead the coordination of the state’s vaccine distribution plan and will continue to work directly with Ohio’s local health commissioners.

Chief of Staff Kathleen Madden: Madden had previously served as Assistant Director at the Ohio Office of Budget and Management and will now play a key role in keeping ODH’s pandemic and non-pandemic programs and operations on track. She will work to prioritize and resolve critical issues, provide oversight and guidance to ODH staff, and ensure that ODH funds are spent responsibly and strategically.

Other key members of the ongoing COVID-19 response who will continue their roles in assisting ODH are:

Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Harris, Ohio National Guard: Maj. Gen. Harris will continue work to ensure complex operations, such as COVID testing and contact tracing, are well-coordinated, monitored, and improved when necessary.  He will also work directly with Senior Deputy Himes on the planning and logistics of the forthcoming vaccine distribution program.

Director Ursel McElroy, Ohio Department of Aging: Director McElroy will continue to direct virus prevention efforts for older adults in the community and in long-term settings, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Director Lori Criss, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services: Director Criss will continue to lead efforts to address the increasing mental health needs of citizens during the pandemic.

Governor DeWine also announced that John Logue, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s (BWC) Chief of Strategic Direction, will become the new administrator of Ohio BWC effective on November 16.

Logue has worked for 26 years in the industry. Before returning to BWC in 2019, he most recently served as the vice president of client services for International Absence Management Company where he focused on Ohio workers’ compensation.

HUSTED TALKS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BIPARTISANSHIP AFTER ELECTION

Lt. Governor Jon Husted last week spoke at the Impact Ohio Post Election Conference, where he discussed what the administration is doing to improve broadband, strengthen Ohio’s workforce and end costly regulations that hinder job growth. 

The Lt. Governor also advocated for collaboration and building bridges to tackle the issues and challenges Ohioans face in their daily lives. 

The unofficial results from the November 3rd election show 5,812,804 Ohioans voted in the 2020 General Election, already breaking the all-time record of 5,773,777 set in 2008. 

“The old saying from my time in the military is ‘you sweat in peacetime so you don’t bleed in battle’,” said LaRose. “Partnering with the county boards of elections, we sweated throughout the spring and summer to boost participation in early voting opportunities, make sure voters were safe, voting systems were secure, and enough poll workers trained and ready. And it worked. Ohio shattered the record and voters proved it’s easy to make your voice heard in the Buckeye State.”