Ohio Republican Party Chairman’s Update

Greetings!

Our county parties have been hosting Lincoln Day Dinners across the state this year. Governor Kasich, Lt. Governor Taylor, Senator Portman, Secretary of State Husted, Auditor Dave Yost, Attorney General DeWine, Supreme Court Justices Kennedy and French, other statewide leaders, members of our Congressional delegation and I have been criss-crossing the state to attend them. They have been outstanding. Thank you to all of the county leaders and volunteers who have or are putting them together. The Ohio Republican Party wouldn't be as strong as it is without you.

One of the latest gatherings was the Franklin County Republican Party annual Lincoln Day Dinner this week. The fundraiser attracted over 1,000 people to hear Governor John Kasich speak along with Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, Secretary of State Jon Husted, Attorney General Mike DeWine, and Franklin County Chairman Doug Preisse and their Central Committee Chairman Brad Sinnott.

Another big dinner is coming up on May 10th. Please join us for our Ohio Republican Party State Dinner on May 10th at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel. The featured guest will be former Governor Haley Barbour and Governor John Kasich will follow with the keynote. You can find out more information and RSVP here.

Governor Kasich lifts Ohio

When Ohio Republicans took office they inherited a terrible mess from the Democrats. The state was facing an $8 billion budget shortfall and had lost 350,000 jobs. Under Governor Kasich's leadership the budget was balanced, taxes were reduced and nearly a quarter million jobs have been created.

In his latest TV advertisement, Governor Kasich tells the story of why he works so hard to lift Ohio. Governor Kasich tells how his parents taught him the importance of standing up for those without wealth or power. That's what job creation is all about and why Governor Kasich focuses on it everyday.

Democrat FitzGerald's glaring hypocrisy continues

Democrat Ed FitzGerald is becoming well known for his hypocrisy. Whether it is leaving his job early to campaign for a new one, while asking others to sign a pledge not to, or touting his law enforcement credentials while using his taxpayer-funded Inspector General to do campaign work, FitzGerald has two sets of standards: one for himself and one for everyone else. Recently, Ed FitzGerald tried to launch an attack on women's wages. Then the plan backfired. It turns out FitzGerald's record on the issue is terrible.

FitzGerald employs twice as many men as he does women and pays men $7 more an hour. To top it off the wage gap in Cuyahoga County, the county which he oversees as County Executive, is $2.29. That is almost three times the state average.

The Republican National Committee has even gotten involved calling his comments "unforgivable hypocrisy." Ed FitzGerald also called himself out in this video we put together. Perhaps it's time for Ed FitzGerald to do a little more explaining and a little less finger pointing on this issue.

Ed FitzGerald is also refusing to come clean about his use of his hand-picked taxpayer-funded Inspector General for his own personal campaign work. FitzGerald has come under fire from multiple editorial boards for the improper use of his IG to do campaign work on the taxpayers' dime. Amid the criticism FitzGerald has refused to say if he is continuing to use the IG for work that should be done by his campaign. We have filed a public records request to find out if the practice is continuing and how much it is costing taxpayers.

More voter fraud identified in Hamilton County

Two more people, Timothy Merman and Ellen Duncan, were indicted this week for illegally voting in Hamilton County. Merman falsified his voting address by using his failed business' address inside the state of Ohio instead of his correct residential address that is actually located in Kentucky. Ellen Duncan was a poll worker at the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati and used her position to vote twice in the 2013 election. When questioned, Duncan said that she did not understand the rules even though she has worked as a poll worker for over 10 years. Duncan and Merman mark the seventh and eighth charged in Hamilton County with illegal voting. These examples show that fraud is real and why it is so important that Secretary of State Jon Husted remains in office to continue his work of making it easy to vote, but hard to cheat.

Eastern Ohio Development Alliance hosts Senator Rob Portman

This week, U.S. Senator Rob Portman delivered keynote remarks at the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance (EODA) 24th Annual Meeting. EODA's mission is to stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life for residents in the 16-county area comprised of Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Tuscarawas, and Washington counties. Senator Portman discussed his efforts to enact pro-growth policies and his Jobs for America blueprint to spur economic growth.

"Washington should be helping Ohio small businesses succeed by creating an environment for job creation, one where our economy can grow and Ohioans can find full-time employment," said Portman.

Speaker Boehner delivers GOP address from Piqua

This week's national Republican radio address was delivered by Speaker Boehner from Piqua, Ohio, 25 miles north of Dayton. The Speaker spoke from a small business about the need for the federal government to get out of the way of job creation.

"For the last five years, we've had an administration in Washington that acts as if everything can be done from the top down," Speaker Boehner said. "From the 'stimulus' to ObamaCare, it's a record littered with promises that never panned out."

I'm also grateful that Speaker Boehner hosted a fundraiser for the Ohio Republican Party in Dayton on Thursday. Speaker Boehner has been steadfast in the fight against Obamacare and has been a conservative voice for the nation in Congress to decrease federal spending. He makes sure that conservatives are heard in Washington and that we have the resources to stand-up to the Obama administration in Ohio.

Plain Dealer officially endorses Joyce and LaRose

The Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial board is endorsing two Republican incumbents in the May elections. Congressman Dave Joyce was endorsed for the 14th Congressional District because of his ability to get projects accomplished that greatly help the area, while also staying true to his conservative beliefs. State Senator Frank LaRose won his endorsement because he proved that he knew the issues better than his opponent, while also demonstrating the way he would continue to fight for Ohio Senate District 27. Both men have worked tirelessly for their districts and the state of Ohio. They are just two examples of our Republican candidates being recognized for their work.

We are also coordinating volunteer efforts to go the 27th Senate District to support Senator LaRose. If you or someone you know are interested in joining us please contact Katie Eagan, at eagan@ohiogop.org.

Insuring Ohio's Futures

Lt. Governor Mary Taylor was in Cincinnati this week to promote jobs at the University of Cincinnati. Taylor spoke as part of the Insuring Ohio Futures event that focused on the large job demand that is arising within the insurance business. Because of retiring baby boomers, 26,000 jobs in the field are expected to be available by 2020 in the state of Ohio. Taking the message to universities across the state is helping generate interest among students looking for a successful career. Not only is this boom good for students, but the industry is crucial to the success of the state.

"The insurance industry is an economic pillar for our state, and meeting this need is critical to its strength moving forward," Taylor said. You can read more about the event here.

More tax payer waste identified by Auditor Yost

State Auditor Dave Yost is once again a taxpayer hero. This week he released a new audit on the City of Bellefontaine. The city requested the audit to look for efficiencies and savings in the areas of utility billing and water/waste-water operations. The audit identified over $250,000 in savings. Most of the city's potential savings came from cutting down on unnecessary water loss by replacing water meters in city-owned buildings and installing meters on city property to track and report accurate water loss amounts.

"By taking this closer look at their operations, the city can bring significant savings to Bellefontaine's residents," Auditor Yost said. "These results exemplify the best of what performance audits can provide."

Treasurer Mandel goes national with pro-Ohio jobs message

Treasurer Mandel went national this week with his pro-Ohio jobs message on bringing back shop class, and profiling careers in the skilled trades. He penned an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that highlighted Ohio companies and job opportunities in manufacturing and the skilled trades, and talked about the need for more focus on preparing Ohioans to fill the gap and enter these high-paying careers

After you read his op-ed, if you need further proof of why we need Josh Mandel for another four years, look at how quickly he was able to turn around the State Treasurer's office. Democrats Boyce and Ahmad left behind a corrupt mess and Mandel cleaned it up quickly, while also helping to restore Ohio's economic status. Now Ahmad is literally on the run from federal authorities.

Early voting for the May primary has been going on since the beginning of April, and thousands of Ohioans have already voted. Secretary Husted has a way for Ohioans to proudly display their "I Voted Today" sticker on their Facebook profiles. This is a great way to encourage folks to participate in the elections process, and to remind everyone how easy it is to vote in Ohio. Visit this page to learn more and make sure you vote before May 6th!

You can also find your Official 2014 Ohio Republican Party Primary Slate Card here.

Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland find help through state grant

Thanks to a grant by Attorney General Mike DeWine, a new facility for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland opened its doors on April 22nd. The facility will offer a wide range of activities including ping-pong, basketball, and art projects for the estimated 125 to 150 kids that will come through daily. Help with school work and tours of colleges will also be offered. After three years of fundraising, the facility became possible after a $4.3 million statewide grant was offered by the Attorney General's office. The grant's focus was to help youth in economically challenged areas. You can read more about the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland along with the grant's impact here.

OFRW works to keep Republicans in office

Ohio Federation of Republican Women Campaign Chair Terri Studer and President Lyn Bliss met with representatives for all of the statewide executive candidates' campaign staffs this week. The group discussed how the OFRW could be more involved in each campaign and what could be done to help insure Ohio's top offices remain in Republican hands after the upcoming 2014 elections. The meeting was extremely productive and the OFRW are looking to find county coordinators from within their membership to aid the campaigns at a grassroots level. You can read more about the great work of the OFRW here.

Don't forget your slate card

With the May elections right around the corner, don't forget to download your Republican e-slate card. This is a great resource to share with friends and colleagues to help our candidates in May.

Sincerely,

Matt Borges

Chairman, Ohio Republican Party