In the 2012 election, State Sen. Nina Turner emerged as one of current Secretary of State Jon Husted’s most vocal critics, accusing the Republican of using his position as the chief elections’ official to limit minorities’ access to the polls.
She told supporters at her campaign kickoff on Cleveland’s southeast side that in this election, voting rights hang in the balance.
TURNER: “Your party affiliation shouldn’t matter, your race shouldn’t matter, your gender shouldn’t matter, your ZIP code should shouldn’t matter. Everybody should have fair access to the ballot.”
Endorsing Turner were State Rep. Nickie Antonio, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge.
Ohio GOP spokesman Chris Schrimpf defends Husted. He says the secretary has rightly removed dead voters from the rolls, and he points to Husted’s 2012 announcement that he sent vote-by-mail applications to registered Ohio voters in all counties.
SCHRIMPF: “His record protecting the ballot box is a great record to run on, versus his opponent, who has no record."
Turner says as secretary of state, she would work to reduce wait times at polling places and push for redistricting reform.
