In the race for Ohio’s seat in the United States Senate, Rob Portman has held a lead over his opponent, Ted Strickland, for months.
Portman, a Republican and current senator from Ohio, may not be able to win the liberal-leaning Athens County, but local Republicans do not see that as an issue.
“I don’t think Portman is going to carry Athens County, but you never know,” Pete Couladis, chair of the Athens County Republican Party, said. “He doesn’t need to carry Athens County, he’s doing well in other parts of Ohio.”
Portman is 18 points ahead of Strickland, according to a Nov. 3 Quinnipiac poll, and while support of the two candidates has shifted slightly in the last few weeks, some voters feel they can already predict the outcome of the election.
“It could not be more clear, Ohio voters realize they can't afford a return to Ted Strickland's Ohio when the state lost more than 350,000 jobs and ranked 48th in job creation,” Michawn Rich, a Portman campaign spokeswoman, said in an email.
During his first bid for the senate in 2010, Portman garnered about 57 percent of the vote across Ohio, but only about 35 percent of the vote in Athens County. Lee Fisher, a Democrat and former Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, ran against Portman that year and received about 60 percent of the vote in Athens County.
“Portman’s done a good job and he’s right on the issues as far as taxes and reforming the federal government and the economy,” Couladis said. “Whereas Strickland has gone in the other direction, favoring higher taxes and not having a good rating with the NRA and not doing so well with the coal miners.”
Nonetheless, Strickland, has polled well in Athens County during past elections.
“The people that have been represented by Ted Strickland when he was in Congress and who know his record as governor look forward to having his strong advocacy in Washington,” John Haseley, chair of the Athens County Democratic Party, said. Haseley served as Strickland’s chief of staff when he was governor from 2007 to 2011.
When he ran as an incumbent against John Kasich for governor in 2010, Strickland had about 70 percent of the vote in Athens County, though he only polled at 47 percent across the state versus Kasich’s 49 percent.
“I’m not predicting I’m going to win, but I’m saying that I can win,” Strickland said Oct. 27 before speaking at the Athens County Democratic Dinner. “I’m going to fight to the very end and I will accept whatever the people decide.”
For some students, Strickland’s platform is appealing because of his focus on college affordability.
“Ted Strickland is a politician but he’s very down-to-earth,” Sam Miller, president of the OU College Democrats, said. “He’s really focused on decreasing student debt, he's really focused on making sure there’s job security in Ohio … we really appreciate that.”
David Parkhill, president of the OU College Republicans, said that while his group is also concerned with college affordability, the state of the economy is a more important issue in his eyes.
“We really need to focus on kickstarting the economy,” Parkhill said. “Free college is great, but you need a job when you get out (of college).”
Despite Strickland’s low performance in the polls, Miller said she is not worried.
“I’m honestly not that concerned,” Miller said. “This is Ohio, we really don’t ever really have our mind made up until we go to the polls on election day.”
