| Welcome to the Ohio Politics newsletter, where we’ll compile a sampling of the region’s and state’s biggest political stories each week to help you stay informed and understand what’s happening. Early voting for the March 19 primary is underway, so this week, our paper has been full of election previews in an attempt to get our readers up to speed on the dozens of critical elections on March 19. Below, I’ll flag a few of those articles for your review. For a full slate of our election coverage so far, be sure to check out the Dayton Daily News elections page to make sure you don’t miss a beat. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, concerns or tips. I can be reached at 614-981-1422, avery.kreemer@coxinc.com or @AveryKreemer on X. You can also follow our political coverage on our website and through our Ohio Politics Facebook page. Statehouse primaries: The local candidates, issues, and what’s at stake on March 19 Credit: Dayton Daily News The Dayton region has 11 contested Statehouse races for voters to decide on this March. Four of those races feature a Republican incumbent hoping to fight off challengers while others, including two in Dayton, involve Democrats trying to build momentum to flip red seats to blue come November. I wrote an explainer piece to keep it all straight. Race to watch in Dayton: • Senate District 6: This district, which includes Dayton and most of its eastern, western and southern ‘burbs, was recently redrawn and now favors Democrats by about 8 percentage points. Plus, there will be no Republican incumbent running this November. It’s given Ohio Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, hope that the party can pick up a seat in the Ohio Senate for the first time since the 1980s. Here’s a story I wrote to help you get to know the Democratic candidates. Trump Jr. touts Moreno as “my father’s guy” at rally in Butler County Credit: Nick Graham Donald Trump Jr. and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who holds local ties to Butler County, campaigned in West Chester Twp. Wednesday in support of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno. Our reporter covering the race Lynn Hulsey summed it up. • Context: Bernie Moreno, a businessman from Westlake, shot to the forefront of Ohio’s Republican Senate primary following an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. • What was said: “You have an America First businessman and you have two Liz Cheney clones,” Trump Jr. said, referring to Moreno’s two GOP primary opponents, state Sen. Matt Dolan of Chagrin Falls and Secretary of State Frank LaRose of Columbus. • Pushback: Dolan and LaRose each issued statements downplaying Trump Jr.’s fiery support of Moreno. “Ohio voters see this visit for what it is: a bailout for Bernie Moreno’s struggling campaign,” said Dolan’s campaign; while LaRose announced that “Sometimes even the good guys get it wrong.” • Bonus: Check out our photo gallery of the event, shot by photographer Nick Graham. • Future content: Each candidate will come to Butler County on March 6 for a debate at Miami University. Find the full details at the link. Local political news of the week • Centerville Schools asks voters for a new levy: The new, 3.9-mill, $11.2 million proposed levy is the second straight bite at the apple for Centerville Schools, which said it needs funds to meet an already-dwindled budget. District voters denied a higher levy last November. Education reporter Eileen McClory has the story. • Two Republicans, Two Democrats, and one Montgomery County commission seat: The race for a county commission seat is well underway as Republicans and Democrats, including incumbent Judy Dodge, make their cases to be their party’s nominee. Reporter Sydney Dawes has the story for both. State political news of the week • A party split in a Republican Butler County Statehouse race:Incumbent Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., of the 46th House District is facing challenger Zachary Stacy, a first time candidate from Middletown who hopes to bring local families’ concerns to the fore of state politics. For both, property taxes are a critical issue. Ed Richter provides the details. • Dark money funded untoward mailers in another Butler County clash: 47th House District incumbent Rep. Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, was the subject of campaign literature claiming she “took” her adopted children away from their mother, a claim among others that were never proven true in court. The mailer, which her opponent Diane Mullins denies any connection to, has been linked to a variety of other campaigns against 22 Republicans who were censured by the state GOP after a split in the party. Mike Pitman has the story. • A Republican primary in Warren county sees two challengers take on incumbent:A rematch is taking place in the 56th House District where incumbent Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, hopes to swat away former Mason Mayor Kathy Grossman (whom he beat in a close election in 2022) and Heather Salyer, a political newcomer from Turtlecreek Twp. Ed Richter has the story. National political news of the week Credit: NYT • Mitch McConnell to step down as Senate leader: The 82-year-old U.S. senator from Kentucky opted to step down after nearly two decades leading Republican Senators in D.C. His decision, celebrated by Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, marks a continuation of a seismic shift in the GOP. Here’s the story. • Former President Donald Trump closes in on Republican nomination: After defeating his final opponent Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina, which twice elected her governor, Trump cemented his front-runner status for this November’s presidential campaign. Here’s the story. • A slate of four Democratic Congressional candidates make their cases: Last week, four Democrats hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, participated in a forum to discuss key issues, including foreign aid to Israel, the Gaza strip, and Ukraine. Here’s what they said. *** *** | 