In this week's Snollygoster, Ohio's political podcast from WOSU Public Media, Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss how a congressional district that's been solidly Republican for over 30 years may get swept up in a "blue wave."
Kyle Kondik, managing editor for Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, joins the show.
Listen to Snollygoster on the WOSU Public Media mobile app, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure to leave a rating and review!
In this week's episode:
Too Close To Call
Traditionally Republican congressional districts in Ohio are looking like possible wins for Democrats trying to take back the House. In Ohio's 12th District, Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor is seeing impressive turnout in early voting over Republican state Rep. Troy Balderson, who has held a lead in the polls. O'Connor has won some big endorsements, including from the Columbus Dispatch, but Balderson has the backing of President Trump and Gov. John Kasich.
There's another race drawing eyes, too: Ohio's 1st District in Cincinnati, where Democrat Aftab Pureval seems to be gaining steam in his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot.
Do Endorsements Matter?
Speaking of political backing: In the race for governor, Democrat Richard Cordray picked up the endorsement of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police. That in itself is not surprising, but it's not clear the rank-and-file officers are swayed by their union's endorsement.
The FOP also backed the rest of the Democratic statewide ticket - with the exception of Secretary of State, where they went for Republican state Sen. Frank LaRose.
"The Yoga Vote"
According to the Intercept, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is preparing for a 2020 run for president and is telling consultants that he can capture the "yoga vote." This comes after Ryan's failed bid to unseat Nancy Pelosi as Minority Leader following the 2016 election.
Ryan is a proponent of meditation and seemingly believes his appeal is broader than the working class voters in his district.
