Door to Door: Races to watch in Ohio's Aug. 2 special primary

Updated: 4:05 p.m., Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Analysis

This year’s redistricting fight has banished state legislative candidates to a lonely island in the middle of the summer: the Aug. 2 special primary.

Although an Ohio Supreme Court majority found these districts to be unconstitutional, a three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ordered the state to implement them. Like it or not, these are the maps we’re working with.

So on Aug. 2, Democratic and Republican voters will pick their parties’ Ohio House and Senate nominees for the November general election. Here are some races to watch in Northeast Ohio:

Democratic showdown in the western suburbs. Two sitting Democratic state representatives, Monique Smith and Bride Sweeney, will face off in the new House District 16. The district runs from Bay Village south to Olmsted Falls and Berea.

The winner will face Republican candidate Michael Lamb.

Cleveland’s West Shore suburbs trended Democratic in the age of Donald Trump, even as the rest of Ohio reddened. Smith flipped her district blue two years ago. The general election could test Democrats’ suburban staying power in a challenging environment for their party.

Dave’s Redistricting, which crunches numbers on the nation’s legislative districts, gives Democrats a five-point edge here.

East Side Democratic matchup. Two more Democrats are vying for the new Senate District 21, which covers Cleveland’s Southeast Side and many eastern suburbs within the embrace of I-271.

Euclid’s Kent Smith, a sitting state representative, faces John Barnes Jr., a former state lawmaker. Smith may have come up short in the recent race for Cuyahoga County Democratic Party chair, but he did win his party’s endorsement in this primary.

This district is overwhelmingly Democratic, and the winner on Aug. 2 will have the wind at his back against Republican Mikhail Alterman in the general election.

Republican primary in Parmaland. GOP candidates Jolene Austin and David Morgan are competing for the chance to face off against Democratic candidate Sean Brennan, the president of Parma City Council.

Democrats have a small advantage in House District 14, which covers Parma, Parma Heights and a sliver of Cleveland’s West Side. But with Parma having gone twice for Trump, the Republican winner Aug. 2 could have reason to be optimistic in November.

Open seat in the eastern suburbs. House District 21 covers a smattering of Cleveland’s eastern suburbs, from Euclid south to Beachwood. The Democratic primary features three candidates: Michael Ettorre, Elliot Forhan and Jonathan Holody. The Republican candidate in this heavily Democratic district is Kelly Powell.

Other races in the region. A few sitting state lawmakers will face primary challenges. Strongsville state Rep. Thomas Patton, a Republican, faces Ryan McClain. Democratic state Rep. Terrence Upchurch is up against Michael Seals, and state Rep. Juanita Brent – the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s new vice chair – faces Danielle Dronet and Vincent E. Stokes II.

The new House District 67 zig-zags from Brunswick south to Ashland County. Here, Brunswick Mayor Ron Falconi faces Melanie Miller and Terry Robertson in the Republican primary.

In Lorain County, Republicans Marty Gallagher and Sarah McGervey are facing off in House District 53. The incumbent, Democratic state Rep. Joe Miller, faces a write-in opponent in Dan Ramos.

In Lorain, Erie and Huron counties, Republican state Sen. Nathan Manning faces a primary challenge from Kirsten Hill, a member of the state board of education.

What’s up with the state central committee? You’ll no doubt see races for Democratic or Republican central committee seats on your ballot. These are positions within the structures of the major state parties. These races can also function like free popularity polls for political insiders looking to test their name recognition.

Now it’s your turn. Check the Secretary of State’s website to see what districts you’re in now, and go to your county board of elections to see what’s on your ballot.

Like we said at the top, state legislative candidates are drifting on their lonely way in this August special primary. But the election doesn’t have to be lonely if you show up and vote.

An earlier version of this story said that state Rep. Monique Smith flipped her district Democratic in 2018. In fact, she won in 2020. The audio was updated to clarify that the new 16th Ohio House District overlaps with Smith's current district.

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