In Ohio, open Senate seat sparks debate on gender, diversity
By Julie Carr Smyth, Thomas Beaumont and Dan Sewell - Associated Press
FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2020 file photo Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton speaks during a news conference at the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. An open Senate seat in Ohio has set off a round of jockeying among ambitious Democrats and a spirited debate over who is best poised to lead a party comeback in a one-time battleground that has been trending Republican. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) An open Senate seat in Ohio has set off a round of jockeying among ambitious Democrats and a spirited debate over who is best poised to lead a party comeback in a one-time battleground that has been trending Republican.
In Ohio, open Senate seat sparks debate on gender, diversity
By Julie Carr Smyth, Thomas Beaumont and Dan Sewell - Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) An open Senate seat in Ohio has set off a round of jockeying among ambitious Democrats and a spirited debate over who is best poised to lead a party comeback in a one-time battleground that has been trending Republican.
At the core of the fight, triggered by the unexpected retirement of Sen. Rob Portman, is whether the party should prioritize gender or racial diversity in its nominee or again align behind a white man with the hope of winning back the white, working-class voters who have been leaving the party for years.
COLUMBUS It took fewer than 48 hours to rock Ohio s political world.
First, Republican Sen. Rob Portman shocked Ohio politicians when he announced Monday that he wouldn t run for re-election in 2022. The well-funded incumbent was considered a safe bet for the seat in a state that President Donald Trump won handily, twice. Democrats were still mulling who would challenge him.
Then, former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton emerged as a possible Democratic contender for U.S. Senate, Cleveland.com first reported.
That article got a signal boost from author Connie Schultz, a prominent Ohio Democrat and the wife of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who tweeted: Imagine Dr. Amy Acton as Ohio s next U.S. senator. I sure can.
Elizabeth Gillis/NPR
The inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden proved to be a historic day amid months of history-making challenges for our country. Our panel offers their impressions, take-aways and predictions regarding the new president and the message he delivered to us.
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