Dear Republican Leaders,
I got my first deer this week. Unfortunately, so did the front end of my Trailblazer (as you can see). That unscheduled meeting on a dark road in Wyandot County certainly kicked off one of the most unique and eventful weeks of the year so far at the Ohio Republican Party.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Other than the $5,000 worth of damage to my car, I had a great trip to Wyandot County on Monday night and another opportunity to share our agenda for Leading Ohio at the county's annual Lincoln dinner. As we've seen everywhere this year, the turnout was encouraging and the crowd was energized to bring our party back.
- I also had the privilege of meeting on Monday with Delaware County Sheriff Walter Davis, who made history two years ago by becoming Ohio's first African American sheriff. Sheriff Davis is a loyal Republican and a voracious networker, and I appreciate his insights on building the party. He has an inspiring life story that he's sharing with young people across our state, and you can read more about it in this recent Columbus Dispatch article.
- The staff and I traveled to Findlay on Tuesday for another productive party leadership meeting, this time with county chairs and state committee members from the northwest counties. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses of our performance in 2008, and we outlined our strategy for making a comeback in 2009 and 2010.
- On Wednesday, I met with a team of election attorneys who have agreed to advise the party on legal strategies related to voting procedures, ballot integrity, recounts, and other election-related issues. The last two recount scenarios in Ohio's 15th congressional district and the still-undecided U.S. Senate race in Minnesota have prompted us to be more prepared for the unfortunate but inevitable litigation that often surrounds a close outcome. We also continue to face the ongoing legal maneuvering of our secretary of state, who shows little regard for the law when it doesn't fit her partisan agenda.
- I also met Wednesday with former Senate President Stan Aronoff as we continue to reach out to the veteran leaders of our party for insight.
- About 25 county chairs and state committee members joined us on Wednesday evening in Lewis Center (Delaware County) for the last of six regional party leadership meetings. We didn't intend to meet colonial style, but a power outage forced us to converse by candlelight for part of the evening. Despite the unique setting, we had a great discussion about our 2009 political plan and 2010 statewide ticket.
- I capped off the week with a keynote speech to the Highland County Republican Party's annual Lincoln Day dinner - probably the most humorous event I've been to this season. The locals were funny; the event was lighthearted; and the mood was incredibly optimistic. I asked everyone to reacquaint themselves with the principles of our party and to recommit their time, energy and talents to the cause. My thanks to Kay Ayres for her outstanding leadership in Highland County and, more importantly, as vice chair of our state party. Kay has driven thousands of miles this year to attend Republican events from Hamilton to Cuyahoga counties and everywhere in between. I appreciate her loyal service and reliable partnership.
Finally, I appreciate the encouraging feedback many of you have shared about these weekly emails. They not only keep me accountable to you, but they also provide a short, informative summary of our progress that I trust you can use in communicating with others. Please feel free to forward this email to your network. If you'd like us to add a list of email addresses to this update, send them to Craig Forbes in my office (forbes@ohiogop.org). You can also click on the "Forward Email" link at the very bottom of this page to send the email directly to your contacts.
The Week Ahead
Next week, I'll be traveling out of state with my family, but the staff has a lot on the agenda back at the office. Our first New Media Training Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday evening, and it's already filled to capacity. Our County Chairs College begins on April 27th, and our annual Candidate Training Seminar will likely happen on June 6th, but we're still working on some final logistics for both. We'll send out confirmation on both of those events next week.
Thanks again for what you're doing to advance the Republican Party!
Kevin DeWine
Chairman
Continue reading "Chairman DeWine's Weekly Email Update - 03/28/09" »