This pre-primary week has been a busy one, with a busy weekend ahead. On the Republican side, Gov. John Kasich and Donald Trump both plan events in Ohio this weekend. And the two leading Democratic candidates for president, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, are slated for the Ohio Democratic Party’s Legacy Dinner on Sunday. Sanders spoke with Ohio Public Radio and Television’s Andy Chow this week. And while most of the attention on the Ohio primary has been focused on the presidential candidates and on the US Senate candidates, there are other big races - for Congress and for the Ohio House and Senate.
As the Ohio primary looms closer, the campaigns of the candidates for president are stepping up their get out the vote efforts on the phone and in person, trying to motivate their voters. There are two key demographics in which both parties would love to find support – one of them is millennial voters, the under-30 voters who played a huge role in the last two presidential elections. Two of them talked about the issues their voters say are important. Jen House is with the Ohio Young Democrats. Christian Pancake is the chairman of the Ohio College Republican Federation.
Another important block of voters is African Americans. Two important figures from that group also shared their thoughts about the presidential candidates - and much more. Sam Gresham was the president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League for two decades. He’s now with Common Cause Ohio. Clarence Mingo is an attorney who worked for the Legal Aid Society of Columbus – he’s now the Republican auditor for Franklin County.