ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio – The new Democratic ballot lists in Hamilton County are hot off the press.
The district chairmen in Springfield Township and Sharonville picked them up from the party office in Norwood on Thursday.
The reason for the new map: the new frontrunners, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The Democrats of Hamilton County used stickers to cover up the old map.
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Gwen McFarlin, chair of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, said she has noticed a change since President Biden decided to drop out of the race.
“It’s an incentive to energize all the candidates running,” she said. “But they’re still not taking anything for granted, and neither are we.”
Local campaign teams told WCPO they’ve seen increased voter turnout since the change at the top of the ballot box, a replay of a race that many candidates had missed.
“Volunteers come in, they sign up, they want to get more involved and we accommodate their request,” McFarlin said.
Incumbent state Rep. Rachel Baker knows this firsthand. The Democrat is running for re-election in the 27th congressional district of the Ohio House of Representatives.
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“After Harris’ announcement, we had so many new volunteers come to us who had never campaigned before and never been politically involved,” Baker said.
Voters are more interested in political discussions when she campaigns at their door, she said.
“I would say excitement is the best word to describe the difference,” Baker said.
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She said most of her conversations with voters revolve around the economy, including the cost of utilities, health care, public education, gun violence, and mental health and suicide.
“I think people are realizing how important these elections are,” Baker said. “People are much more engaged.”
Her opponent, Republican Curt Hartman, said he did not care who the Democrats had at the top of the ballot.
“Given the political dynamics in our country, I’m not sure more or less energy will affect this. I think people on both sides are already energized,” Hartman said.
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He said the voters he speaks to recognize that the country needs to move in a different direction.
“This will also be reflected at the state level,” he said.
Hartman said that after the Democratic National Convention ends on Thursday, the election campaign will be driven by political decisions, not emotions.
“Joy doesn’t put more food on the table. Joy doesn’t put more gas in the gas tank. Joy doesn’t provide security and safety for your family,” he said. “There’s nothing to that. It’s a feel-good argument.”
But right now, Democrats are using the joy as a catalyst.
“I come from a health care background,” McFarlin said, “so I would say that joy metastasizes and attracts and includes all people.”
