Latest news with #AllisonRusso
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio House Dem Leader Russo on plans, ‘There will be more time for this discussion at a later point'
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo is continuing to stay quiet about any potential future political plans she might have in wake of her announcement last week to step down from her leadership at the end of the month. 'I want to get through this transition first, make sure that the new leadership team has all the support and they get into place,' the Democratic lawmaker from Upper Arlington said when asked if she is considering a run for statewide office. 'I'm going to take some time off. I'll be with my family during July, and there will be more time for this discussion at a later point.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX All four statewide executive offices of governor, attorney general, auditor, and secretary of state are up for open election in 2026, with all of the current Republican incumbents term-limited out of running for the same positions again. Former Ohio Health Department Director Dr. Amy Acton is currently the only Democratic candidate running for Ohio governor. Republican candidates include businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former Morgan County school board president Heather Hill. Democrats are waiting to see if former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will run for Senate or Ohio governor, or nothing at all. Current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is running for attorney general in 2026; current Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state in 2026; and current Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor in 2026. Current Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost had been running for governor, but recently dropped out of the race after the Ohio Republican Party endorsed Ramaswamy. Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. No other Democrats have yet announced their candidacy in 2026 for Ohio auditor, treasurer, or attorney general. The last time any Democratic candidates won any of Ohio's statewide executive offices was in 2006, when Ted Strickland was elected governor, Marc Dann was elected attorney general, Rich Cordray was elected treasurer, and Jennifer Brunner was elected secretary of state. They were all swept out of office in the 2010 cycle. The vote for a new Ohio House Minority Leader is expected to happen the last week of June, right before the lawmakers go on summer break, Russo said. 'I'm not making any endorsements,' she said. 'The decision about who will leave this caucus next is up to the entire caucus, not one individual member.' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he has no idea who is going to replace Russo. 'I said to members of our caucus, obviously, they're free to vote however they want, but we're just going to wait to see what comes out of the minority caucus and deal with that,' he said. Russo is term-limited and her term ends on Dec. 31, 2026. 'I'm looking forward to shifting my focus to policy work and being back on committees,' she said. 'I'm excited about the potential of the new leadership team and the energy that brings and to work alongside those folks.' Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top Ohio House Democrat to step down from leadership
Jun. 5—Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo plans to step down from her post in leadership once the state's budget process is finished at the end of June. Russo, a term-limited Columbus-area Democrat who has led the House's minority caucus since 2022, will serve out the remainder of her term but will step down "to pave the way for a smooth transition of leadership," according to a Thursday statement. Now one of the best-known Democrats in Ohio politics, Russo said decisions on her political future will come at a later time. Her early departure from leadership does coincide with preparations for the 2026 election cycle, in which every Ohio executive political office is up for re-election. "Serving as the Ohio House minority leader for the last three-and-a-half years has been an incredible honor. It has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding positions I've had the privilege to hold," Russo said. "This role has allowed me to shape our Democratic policy priorities, be an unwavering voice for the needs of Ohio working families, and recruit talented new legislators and a team of hardworking staff to carry out these priorities." In 2021, Russo ran for Congress against Republican Columbus-area incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Carey and was defeated handily. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo stepping down from leadership role at the end of June
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, is stepping down from her leadership role at the end of the month. Russo has served as minority leader since January 2022 and she will continue to serve as state representative until her term ends on Dec. 31, 2026. She made the announcement to her caucus Thursday morning. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Serving as the Ohio House Minority leader for the last three and a half years has been an incredible honor,' she said in a statement. 'It has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding positions I've had the privilege to hold.' Russo was first elected as state representative in November 2018, flipping a previously held Republican seat. She worked in health policy for more than 20 years before entering politics. Russo ran for Congress in 2021, but lost to U.S. Rep. Mike Carey 58% to 42%. 'Every strong leader knows the importance of a thoughtful transition,' she said in a statement. 'At the beginning of this session, I communicated to members that I wanted to remain in leadership through the important state operating budget negotiations.' Heading into the legislative summer break and the rest of the General Assembly session, however, she said it 'is important that I give the next leadership team ample time to thoughtfully and carefully plan how to navigate our caucus priorities after this budget cycle and to continue building our effort to pick up more seats for Democrats in the Ohio House in 2026.' Russo also said she wants to focus on her family, policy work and serving her district. 'My son just graduated high school, and I look forward to spending the summer with him and my family preparing to send him off to college,' said Russo, who has three children. 'Any decisions regarding my political future, will come at a later time.' Russo is term-limited in the House and has been tight-lipped about her future plans. During her time as minority leader, Russo has been forced to navigate a Republican supermajority. 'Over the last few years, my colleagues and I have stood strong in the face of attacks on our most basic rights and values, and despite tough odds we were successful in standing up for all Ohioans,' Russo said. Ohio Democrats secured a couple of major victories in 2023 — voting down an effort that would have made it harder to pass constitutional amendments, and voting to enshrine abortion and reproductive rights in the state's constitution. Russo's announcement comes the same month Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters announced her plan to step down. So far, Dr. Amy Acton is the only Democratic candidate who has announced they are running for governor in 2026. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is running for governor and Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel is considering running. Ohio Supreme Court Judge Jennifer Brunner is the only Democrat in statewide office in Ohio. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters will step down by end of next month
Elizabeth Walters was elected the new chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. Photo courtesy Twitter. The Ohio Democratic Party will have a new chair for the mid-term elections. Liz Walters is stepping down as Ohio Democratic Party Chair no later than June 30 she announced earlier this week on X, former known as Twitter. 'The state of the OH Dems organization is in the strongest possible position for change, and completing a chair transition now ensures the next leader of our party will have a healthy amount of time to get their legs under them for the 2026 cycle,' she said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Walters was appointed chair in 2021 and was the first woman elected to the role. David Pepper was the previous chair. 'Making the decision to leave was not easy,' she said in her statement. 'It has been an honor, and a true vocation, to serve as the chair of the Party that I love in the state I call home.' Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, thanked Walters for her time as chair. 'Liz has done an exceptional job for more than four years leading the Democratic Party in Ohio,' Russo said in a statement. 'Her dedication to upholding the democratic values of freedom, dignity, and opportunity in the fight to make the lives of all Ohioans better is a testament to the legacy she will leave behind.' The Ohio Democratic Party suffered losses in the 2024 election. Republican Bernie Moreno ousted long-time incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown who held office since 2006. All three Republican Ohio Supreme Court candidates swept their races giving the court a 6-1 Republican majority. Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner's seat will be up next year. Looking ahead to 2026, former Ohio Health Department Director Dr. Amy Acton is currently the only Democratic candidate running for Ohio governor. Entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and political newcomer Heather Hill are all vying for the Republican nomination for governor. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid numerous school levies failing across Ohio, state GOP doesn't plan to bail districts out
School lockers in a hallway. Getty Images. Ohio Republican leaders say they will follow the wants of local voters who rejected school levies on the May 6 primary ballot. This comes a month after they proposed a slash of public education's expected budget by hundreds of millions. Overall, school levies generally passed across the state. According to a WEWS/OCJ analysis, 70% passed — but most were extremely close calls. Many in Northeast Ohio failed. But how did we get into the situation where more than 100 levies were on the ballot? That depends on who you ask. 'We are so over-levied because the state does not step up to do its part on many issues, most importantly in the space of public education,' said House Minority Leader Allison Russo. Russo referenced the school funding debate. In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the way the schools are funded was unconstitutional, relying too much on property taxes. After decades of work, lawmakers passed the bipartisan Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Plan in 2021. The policy was set up with a six-year phase-in that provides support for districts, and four years have already been implemented. But in this year's budget, House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, decided that the amount of money schools were receiving was 'unsustainable,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX To be fully funded based on statistics from the Fair School Funding Plan from 2021, schools would need $666 million. The proposed budget only gives them about $226 million. GOP leaders argue that since they are increasing from the amount of money that the schools got in 2025, this is a good deal — and they are funding education. However, Democrats argue that 2025 is just a singular year, not a two-year budget, and that this is dramatically lower than the FSFP. Based on 2025 numbers and inflation, the amount of money needed to fund K-12 would be closer to $800 million, new data from public school advocates like former lawmaker and FSFP co-creator John Patterson explained. Huffman was asked if the state had a responsibility to help out schools that say they have to lay off teachers. 'I think we have a responsibility to fund public schools … But if a levy doesn't pass because the local voters, the constituents, don't want it to pass — that's up for the local jurisdiction to make a decision,' he responded. He added that the state shouldn't be held responsible if taxpayers vote no on the levies, especially because residents are already struggling with property taxes. 'The votes of the people who are in the district should mean something,' the speaker continued. 'And if the answer is, 'Well, they voted no, so the state should send more of everybody else's money to that district,' — I don't think that's the way it should work.' Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) didn't address the state's involvement, but does say he understands why some schools failed. 'I would imagine the taxpayers in those districts are frustrated because their tax bills just went up relatively recently and they should, rightfully, be asking how much of that increase in their tax bills is already going to the school districts,' the president responded. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) disagreed, adding that another House proposal will make it even worse for public education. According to the House GOP, schools have carried over $10.5 billion, which should be going back to the residents. The bill would require counties to cut property tax rates, distributing back unspent cash, if school districts save more than 30% of the previous year's budget. These reserves are essential for schools, Antonio said. McColley also said he believes that the 30% limit is 'too low.' As the proposed budget makes its way through the Senate hearings, schools are asking to tack on more money. Legislative leaders say that doesn't seem likely. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
