Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ohio Democratic Party Chooses New Leader

Jo Ingles

The Ohio Democratic Party has a new leader. Summit County Council member Liz Walters was elected party chair last night by the executive committee. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. <--break->

It came down to two women – Antoinette Wilson and Liz Walters. After a few words about the need to rebuild the party by enlisting the strength of leaders in Ohio's 88 counties, Antoinette Wilson said something that appeared to take many by surprise.

"I can honestly say that in my career, I have always put the interests of this party first. And tonight, I'm going to do that once again. So that I ask that we unite in support of Liz Walters as the party chair," Wilson said.

There were a few minutes of silence after Wilson withdrew. The committee then went on to vote Walters into the position unanimously.

After taking the oath, Walters talked about party unity. And she told a story about she saw first-hand problems with lack of healthcare after her mother’s death from cancer. She said that journey propelled her to work for change. And she urged party members to focus on their own stories. 

“Now, more than ever, we need to lean into them because the work ahead for our party will be hard and no doubt, we are going to have many tough conversations about our detailed strategies and our tactics," Walters said.

Walters, former ODP Executive Director, replaces David Pepper, who resigned last month, saying the party needs new leadership following Republican wins in 2020. And because the chair of the party is now female, a male vice chair needed to be elected as well. Andre' Washington was the unanimous choice for that job.  

The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content