Change—when we need it most.
With the recent replacement of long-time GOP senator Rob Portman with JD Vance, a MAGA Republican personally endorsed by Donald Trump, Ohio’s political future looks grim. Vance’s victory over the milquetoast Democrat Tim Ryan, who aroused passion in few and indifference in many, is a sign of the times. He’s a reminder that, while Ohio is a northern state with a strong leftist past, the present political realities on the ground are in stark contrast to the history books.
While Ohio was once a hotbed of socialist and communist action, the birthplace of the Communist Party USA, and the site of Eugene Deb’s imprisonment for his opposition to the draft in WWI, gubernatorial elections are consistently split 50-50 between a neoliberal Democratic Party and an increasingly radical GOP. Even in the Big 8 and smaller Democratic strongholds, local and regional governments are rife with corruption, and residents are faced with an increasingly poorer quality of life. The offshoring of steel and manufacturing has only meant the persistent degradation of our local communities, and the OH GOP’s underfunding of basic public services and education has only reinforced what, on its own, is a manageable inconvenience.
But real, everyday residents see through this, no? Ohioans in blue-collar industries are by-and-large union members, but labor policy in this state scarcely reflects this, more than often siding with big business and encouraging local wealth extraction. Regional chapters of the SEIU, Teamsters, and AFL-CIO—while their senior management do support progressive candidates—are becoming less and less effective, are bowing to corporate demands, and are losing card-holding Democrats among the rank-and-file. Confidence in the OH Dems is virtually non-existent, and the OH GOP plays the long game, seizing control of the state through gerrymandering and voter suppression.
A leftist movement for the times.
What is needed most is bottom-up change that counters political savvy with political savvy and that concentrates our efforts on the seemingly small, everyday injustices that abound throughout this state. Cleveland was once the wealthiest city in the world. Now, it’s known for poverty, homelessness, lead poisoning, corruption, vacant housing, and violent crime. We can do better.
Leftist politics have been vilified as anti-American and have been criminalized in the past, but as far-right ideologies grab hold of the GOP, we cannot let their advances go unchecked. Instead, leftist communities across Ohio need to band together in spite of our differences to work towards an electoral future where leftist policies can thrive and everyday Ohioans see leftist thought for what it is—common sense.
This is the first of biweekly comments on the state of Ohio politics from a leftist lens with a focus on what can be done and how we can get there. Follow us on our socials, subscribe for regular updates, and reach out to collaborate!