Dear Friends,
We’re now in the home stretch, with less than 10 weeks to go until Election Day. Since the spring, we’ve all been coping with how to campaign during a pandemic with the hope that the coronavirus crisis would abate.
Unfortunately, this president has so botched the job that we’re still seeing about 1,000 new cases every day in Ohio, and we still do not have enough testing and contact tracing to stop the spread. Even though Donald Trump is trying to pretend that the coronavirus crisis is over — throwing an illegal party on the White House lawn with no social distancing and very few masks — the crisis is still very much here.
We have less than 40 days until early in-person voting opens, and the Ohio Democratic Party is focused like a laser on doing whatever it takes to ensure every eligible Ohio voter that wants to cast their ballot safely and securely has the opportunity to do so and that their ballot will be counted. I’m proud to report that our organizing team brought together more than 2,000 grassroots volunteers and activists for more than 150 convention watch parties last week. Let’s keep that momentum going:
Meanwhile, this week’s Republican National Convention was a parade of endless lies. One of the most egregious was when Vice President Mike Pence tried to claim that Trump saved Lordstown. Watch as this Lordstown teacher sets the record straight:
Time and time again, Donald Trump has broken his promises and attacked Ohio workers — first at Lordstown and now at Goodyear. We will keep holding Trump accountable for his reckless attacks on Ohio workers:
Onward,
David
David Pepper
Chair
Ohio Democratic Party
TRUMP WATCH
Health Care in Crisis Under Trump
As one speaker after another distorted Donald Trump’s record on health care during the Republican National Convention this week, the Ohio Democratic Party held a virtual roundtable with Dr. Arthur Lavin of Doctors Organized for Health Care Solutions, Dr. Beth Weinstock of the Physicians Action Network and Colleen Bowman, the mother of a childhood cancer survivor, to discuss America’s health care crisis under Trump.
From Chairman David Pepper:
“Donald Trump has clearly, tragically, unnecessarily failed to contain COVID-19 because he didn’t listen to experts, he didn’t take it seriously and he didn’t have a plan. And if that wasn’t bad enough, now and still he wants to repeal health care for millions, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions, during a pandemic.”
From Colleen Bowman:
“… when [Donald Trump] says, ‘I’m going to protect pre-existing conditions’ or ‘I’m going to sign an executive order protecting pre-existing conditions,’ there’s a large population of people who thinks, OK well then that means that’s protecting pre-existing conditions, not understanding that if the [Affordable Care Act] falls, there is no protection there because there isn’t a plan.”
From Dr. Arthur Lavin:
“We know that Joe Biden knows how to stop pandemics. He led the world with Obama on the last one, stopped the pandemic from spreading here, for Ebola. And if he’s elected he can stop this pandemic in its tracks in six weeks.”
From Dr. Beth Weinstock:
“I have had patients say things like, ‘No one knows what the right thing is to do. And they’re all saying different things.’ And then I say, ‘No, no people are saying the right thing to do — you need to wear a mask.’ But because of this mixed messaging — and irresponsible messaging — people are then choosing to not pay attention to any of it.”
OHIO DEMS IN THE HEADLINES
Voting Safely and Securely in a Pandemic
This week the Ohio Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in state court to permit county boards of elections to install multiple secure dropboxes for the return of absentee ballots.
“Expanding the availability of secure voter dropboxes within Ohio counties would make an enormous difference for safe, secure and easy voting in Ohio, as well as eliminate delays in boards receiving ballots through the mail system,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper.
State Sen. Sandra Williams and state Sen. Nickie Antonio applauded the suit.
“With only one dropbox per county, many Ohioans will be forced to drive long distances to return their ballot, if they can find transportation during a pandemic at all,” said Williams.
“There is nothing in the Ohio Revised Code requiring only one ballot dropbox per county. Frank LaRose made this rule himself, then refused to share the legal opinion he used to do it,” said Antonio. “This forces us to assume he unilaterally changed Ohio law, which the Secretary of State is not permitted to do. This lawsuit is not only warranted, it’s necessary.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
Also this Saturday — Congressman Tim Ryan’s campaign is sponsoring drive-through voter registration and vote-by-mail application request stations across his district!
Also this Saturday — join the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, Cuyahoga Democratic Women’s Caucus and Solon Democratic Club for a drive-through civic engagement event!
You can always find events near you at Mobilize.us/OHDems.
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Ohio Young Dems Weekend of Action
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — No-Contact Lit Drops with Kate Schroder for Congress
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Voting Information Refresher with Kate Schroder for Congress
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Battleground Ohio: Summit County Saturdays
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Northeast Ohio Social Media Boot Camp
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Southeast Ohio Virtual Phone Bank with Michael Fletcher
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Southwest Ohio Morning Cup of Joe in the Greater Dayton Area
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Southwest Ohio 19th Amendment Celebration: Candidate Forum
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Day of Action with Crystal Lett and Nancy Day-Achauer: Hilliard Lit Drop
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Berea No-Knock Canvass for Joan Sweeny for Ohio House
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — No-Knock Canvass for Tom Jackson for Ohio Senate
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Ashtabula County Democratic Party Lit Drop
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s Annual Dress in White Party: Virtual Edition
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Alaina Shearer for Congress Bus Tour: Powell x Positively Blue
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Women’s Equality Day Virtual Art Auction for State Rep. Beth Liston
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Virtual Phone Bank for State Rep. Mary Lightbody
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Virtual Phone Bank for Amy Cox for Ohio House
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Clark County Democratic Party Lit Drop
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Battleground Ohio Cleveland Phone Bank
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — Educators for Biden National Phone Bank
- Monday, Aug. 31 — Stacy Brooks for Judge Virtual Fundraiser
- Monday, Aug. 31 — Wood County — Battleground Phone Bank
- Monday, Aug. 31 — Veterans & Military Community Caucus Monthly Roll Call — Southwest Ohio
- Monday, Aug. 31 — Virtual Phone Bank for Betsy Rader for Ohio Senate
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 — Oberlin Backyard Phone Bank for Zach Stepp for Ohio House
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 — Virtual Phone Bank for Joan Sweeny for Ohio House
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 — Volunteer Huddle and Text Bank for Tom Jackson for Ohio Senate
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 — Virtual Discussion on Gerrymandering with Judge Jennifer Brunner and Betsy Rader for Ohio Senate
- Wednesday, Sept. 2 — Ohio Democratic Party Digital Organizing Training
- Wednesday, Sept. 2 — Letter to the Editor Online Training — Rural Edition
- Wednesday, Sept. 2 — Battleground Ohio Voter Protection Virtual Phone Bank
- Wednesday, Sept. 2 — Virtual Phone Bank for Crystal Lett for Ohio Senate
- Wednesday, Sept. 2 — Elyria/North Ridgeville Backyard Phone Bank for Zach Stepp for Ohio House
- Thursday, Sept. 3 — Virtual Rally with Desiree Tims and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge on Voting By Mail
- Thursday, Sept. 3 — Stark County Virtual Phone Bank with Action Together Stark
