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2018 was a big election year in Ohio. Republicans held onto all five statewide executive offices including governor and super majorities in both the Ohio House and Senate. But there were a few bright spots for Democrats, among them the reelection of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and the election of two Democrats to the Ohio Supreme Court.With election 2018 over, the focus now shifts to governing. Stay connected with the latest on politics, policies and people making the decisions at all levels affecting your lives.

Democrat Enters Race for Ohio Treasurer

Rob Richardson's campaign

Democrats have candidates in each of the five executive statewide offices next year with a Cincinnati attorney’s kickoff of his campaign for treasurer. 

Rob Richardson Jr. says he’ll work on restructuring student loans, and wants to create a statewide business start-up fund and a task force on drug companies and the state’s deadly opioid crisis – not typical actions by a treasurer. But Richardson says term-limited Republican Josh Mandel hasn’t used his office to its full potential.

“It’s been used as totally a political tool," Richardson says. "The current treasurer has been focused on his next political move instead of what’s best for long-term interests of the state of Ohio.”

Richardson ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Cincinnati mayor earlier this year. He would face state Rep. Robert Sprague or Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo, who are running on the Republican side. 

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.