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{{redirect|D-OH|the term used by the character Homer Simpson|D'oh!}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Ohio Democratic Party
| logo             = Ohio Democratic Party logo 2022.jpg
| logo_size        = 230px
| headquarters     = [[Columbus, Ohio]]
| chairwoman       = [[Kathleen Clyde]]
| leader1_title    = [[Ohio Senate|Ohio Senate Minority Leader]]
| leader1_name     = [[Nickie Antonio]]
| leader2_title    = [[Ohio House of Representatives|Ohio House Minority Leader]]
| leader2_name     = [[Dani Isaacsohn]]
| seats1_title     = Seats in the [[U.S. Senate]]
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|0|2|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats2_title     = Seats in the [[U.S. House of Representatives]]
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|5|15|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats3_title     = [[Government of Ohio#Executive branch|State Elected Executives]]
| seats3           = {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats4_title     = Seats in the [[Ohio Senate]]
| seats4           = {{Composition bar|9|33|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats5_title     = Seats in the [[Ohio House of Representatives]]
| seats5           = {{Composition bar|34|99|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats6_title     = Seats on the [[Supreme Court of Ohio|Ohio Supreme Court]]
| seats6           = {{Composition bar|1|7|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats7_title     = [[Ohio county government|County Commissioners/County Councilmen]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ccao.org/aws/CCAO/asset_manager/get_file/918842?ver=5 |title=2025 CCAO Roster |website=County Commissioner Association of Ohio (CCAO) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250415215945/https://ccao.org/aws/CCAO/asset_manager/get_file/918842?ver=5 |archive-date=2025-04-15 |access-date=2025-04-15}}</ref>
| seats7           = {{Composition bar|36|280|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| ideology         = 
| position         = 
| national         = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]
| colors           = {{Color box|{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}} [[Red states and blue states|Blue]]
| website          = {{URL|http://www.ohiodems.org}}
| state            = Ohio
| symbol           = [[File:Democratic Disc.svg|100px]]
}}

The '''Ohio Democratic Party''' ('''ODP''') is the affiliate of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Ohio]]. Former state representative [[Kathleen Clyde]] has been the party's chairwoman since June 2025.

Statewide, the Democrats currently are viewed as the opposition party, with Republicans holding the bulk of the major statewide offices. However, the Democrats do hold the mayorships of the state's largest cities, as well as the County Executive seats in the largest counties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chris Ronayne to be next Cuyahoga County Executive |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2022/11/09/new-cuyahoga-county-executive-elected |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=spectrumnews1.com |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
The Ohio Democratic Party traces its origin to the [[Democratic-Republican Party]] founded by [[Thomas Jefferson]] in 1793. The Democratic Party itself was formed when a faction of the "Democratic-Republicans" led by Jerry Mcroy formed the party in the 1820s. Following [[Andrew Jackson]]'s defeat in the [[1824 United States presidential election]], despite having a majority of the popular vote, Jackson set about building a political coalition strong enough to defeat [[John Quincy Adams]] in the [[1828 United States presidential election]]. The coalition that he built was the foundation of the subsequent Democratic Party.
 
Ohio politics was largely dominated by the [[Ohio Republican Party]] until the economic and social hardships brought on by the [[Great Depression]] resulted in a national [[political realignment]]. The political coalition of labor unions, minorities, and liberals allowed the Democrats to compete effectively in Ohio electoral politics for much of the next 30 years. Never very strong in Ohio's rural areas, the party's coalition suffered when the [[Civil Rights Movement]] divided whites from civil rights proponents and minorities. The Ohio Democratic Party reached the peak of its electoral success in the mid-1980s, and this is when the State of Ohio began to invest in many Democratic proposals. This was led by [[Richard Celeste]], a Democratic Governor elected in 1982 and re-elected in 1986, and by his party chairman, James Ruvolo. Together Ruvolo and Celeste constructed a very effective organization that raised a surplus of money that helped out the Democratic Party's candidates and their everyday operations.

In 2006, Chris Redfern became the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. Redfern primarily focused on building a statewide organization that had the power to win every part of Ohio. In 2006, after a 16-year drought, Ohio elected a Democratic U.S. senator ([[Sherrod Brown]]), governor ([[Ted Strickland]]), lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and state treasurer. In 2008, Ohio Democrats won back the House of Representatives after 14 years of Republican control.

[[Summit County, Ohio#Summit County Council|Summit County Council]] President [[Elizabeth Walters (politician)|Elizabeth Walters]] was elected as the party's chairwoman in January 2021. Walters previously served as the Executive Director of the Ohio Democratic Party in 2014. She is the first woman to be elected to the position of Democratic Party Chair in the state.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 14, 2021|title=Elizabeth Walters and Andre Washington Elected Chair and Vice Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party|url=https://ohiodems.org/elizabeth-walters-and-andre-washington-elected-chair-and-vice-chair-of-the-ohio-democratic-party/|access-date=February 20, 2021|website=Ohio Democratic Party}}</ref> Following a string of losses, she stepped down as chair in June 2025, and was succeeded by former state representative [[Kathleen Clyde]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=BeMiller |first1=Haley |title=Ohio Democrats elect Kathleen Clyde as new party chair ahead of 2026 election |url=https://www.timesreporter.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/10/kathleen-clyde-to-lead-ohio-democratic-party-for-2026-election/84036480007/ |access-date=June 10, 2025 |work=[[The Times-Reporter]] |date=June 10, 2025}}</ref>

During the years of 2016 to 2020, a rift developed in the Democratic Party from the national level down to the local level. Progressive Democrats began challenging incumbent Democrats across the country from school boards to bids for Congress. Over time, this led to a slow, but steady adoption of Progressive policies by moderate Democrats, which assisted in capturing the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections.

As of 2023, the Ohio Democratic Party is in the minority in both chambers of the [[Ohio General Assembly]]. Democrats hold five of Ohio's 15 U.S. House seats. A priority for Ohio Democrats since the 2010s has been increasing the [[minimum wage]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Borchardt |first1=Jackie |title=Ohio Democrats propose $15 minimum wage|date=13 March 2018 |url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2018/03/ohio_democrats_propose_1525_mi.html |access-date=23 January 2021}}</ref>

==Electoral success==

The Ohio Democratic Party reached the peak of its electoral success in the early 1980s to 1990s, when during the bulk of that period, they held both U.S. Senate seats ([[John Glenn|John H. Glenn Jr.]] – 1974–1999 and [[Howard Metzenbaum|Howard M. Metzenbaum]] – 1974, 1976–1995), the [[Governor of Ohio|Governorship]] ([[Dick Celeste|Richard F. Celeste]] – 1983–1991) – a majority of Ohio's delegation to the [[United States House of Representatives]] (1983–1995, reaching a peak of 11–8 from 1993 to 1995), and a majority on the [[Ohio Supreme Court]] (1977–1987, with a 6–1 majority from 1983 to 1985, with a Democratic chief justice – [[Frank Celebrezze]] – from 1978 to 1986).

Even with its successes, Ohio Democrats did not fare well on a national level. [[John Glenn]], a popular U.S. senator, [[astronaut]], and national hero, ran for the Democratic nomination for president in [[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]], ending up with only a huge campaign debt to show for it. [[Howard Metzenbaum]], Ohio's other U.S. senator at the time, although a powerful force in the Senate, never achieved national name recognition.

==Current elected officials==
The Ohio Democratic Party holds one seat on the [[Supreme Court of Ohio]] and five of the state's fifteen [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] seats.

===State legislature===
====Ohio Senate====
{{see also|Ohio Senate}}
*Leader: [[Nickie Antonio]]
*Assistant Leader: [[Hearcel Craig]]
*Whip: [[Kent Smith (American politician)|Kent Smith]]
*Assistant Whip: [[Paula Hicks-Hudson]]

====Ohio House of Representatives====
{{see also|Ohio House of Representatives}}
*Floor Leader: [[Allison Russo]]
*Assistant Floor Leader: [[Dontavius Jarrells]]
*Whip: [[Jessica Miranda]]
*Assistant Whip: [[Tavia Galonski]]

====Supreme Court of Ohio====
*[[Jennifer Brunner|Jennifer L. Brunner]]

===Federal===
====U.S. Senate====
· None

====U.S. House====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!District
!Member
!Photo
|-
|[[Ohio's 1st congressional district|1st]]
|{{Sortname|first=Greg|last=Landsman}}
|[[File:Greg Landsman Official Portrait 118th Congress.jpg|center|frameless|140px]]
|-
|[[Ohio's 3rd congressional district|3rd]]
|{{Sortname|first=Joyce|last=Beatty}}
|[[File:Joyce Beatty congressional photo.JPG |center|frameless|140px]]
|-
|[[Ohio's 9th congressional district|9th]]
|{{Sortname|first=Marcy|last=Kaptur}}
|[[File:Marcy Kaptur Wikipedia.jpg|center|frameless|140px]]
|-
|[[Ohio's 11th congressional district|11th]]
|{{Sortname|first=Shontel|last=Brown}}
|[[File:Shontel Brown 116th Congress.jpg|center|frameless|140px]]
|-
|[[Ohio's 13th congressional district|13th]]
|{{Sortname|first=Emilia|last=Sykes}}
|[[File:Rep. Emilia Sykes - 118th Congress (1.jpg|center|frameless|140px]]
|}

===Municipal===
The following Democrats hold prominent mayoralties in Ohio:

* [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]]: [[Andrew J. Ginther]] (1)
* [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]]: [[Justin Bibb]] (2)
* [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]]: [[Aftab Pureval]] (3) 
* [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]]: [[Wade Kapszukiewicz]] (4) 
* [[Akron, Ohio|Akron]]: [[Shammas Malik]] (5) 
* [[Dayton, Ohio|Dayton]]: Jeffrey Mims (6) 
* [[Parma, Ohio|Parma]]: [[Tim DeGeeter]] (7) 
* [[Canton, Ohio|Canton]]: [[Thomas Bernabei]] (8) 
* [[Lorain, Ohio|Lorain]]: Jack Bradley (9) 
* [[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]]: Jamael Tito Brown (11) 
* [[Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio|Cuyahoga Falls]]: Don Walters (15) 
* [[Lakewood, Ohio|Lakewood]]: Meghan George (17) 
* [[Euclid, Ohio|Euclid]]: Kirsten Holzheimer (19) 
* [[Warren, Ohio|Warren]]: William D. Franklin
* [[Lima, Ohio|Lima]]: Sharetta Smith
* [[Barberton, Ohio|Barberton]]: William Judge
* [[Athens, Ohio|Athens]]: Steve Patterson
* [[Chillicothe, Ohio|Chillicothe]]: Luke Feeney
* [[Portsmouth, Ohio|Portsmouth]]: Sean Dunne
* [[Tiffin, Ohio|Tiffin]]: Lee Wilkinson

==Prominent Ohio Democrats of the past==
*[[Vern Riffe]]: speaker of the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] from 1975 to 1995
*[[James M. Cox]]: [[Governor of Ohio]], Democratic nominee for [[President of the United States]] (1920), [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]], publisher of the ''[[Dayton Daily News]]'', founder of [[Cox Communications]]
*[[Dick Celeste]]: [[Ohio House of Representatives|Ohio state representative]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Ohio]], Governor of Ohio, U.S. ambassador to India, President of [[Colorado College]]
*[[John J. Gilligan]]: [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]], Democratic nominee for [[United States Senate]] (1968), [[Governor of Ohio]]. Gilligan later served as a member of the Cincinnati school board from 1999 to 2007.
*[[Michael DiSalle]]: mayor of Toledo, Governor of Ohio, candidate for Democratic nomination for [[President of the United States]] (1960)
*[[Frank Lausche]]: Governor of Ohio, U.S. senator
*[[Martin L. Davey]]: U.S. representative, Governor of Ohio
*[[A. Victor Donahey]]: [[Ohio State Auditor]], Governor of Ohio, U.S. senator
*[[Allen G. Thurman]]
*[[Paul Leonard (politician)|Paul Leonard]]: Lt. Governor of Ohio
*[[Atlee Pomerene]]
*[[Stephen M. Young]]
*[[Howard Metzenbaum]]: U.S. senator
*[[John Glenn]]: U.S. senator
*[[Ted Strickland]]: U.S. representative (1997–2007), Governor of Ohio (2007–2011)
*[[Mary Ellen Withrow]], [[Ohio State Treasurer]] (1983–1994), [[Treasurer of the United States]] (1994–2001)
*[[William O'Neill (Ohio judge)|Bill O'Neill]]: Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Ohio (2012–2018)

==Party symbols==
Ohio Democrats use the same symbols as the national Democratic party, such as the [[donkey]]. In the early 20th century, the traditional symbol of the Democratic Party in Midwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio was the rooster, as opposed to the Republican eagle.

==See also==
* [[List of Ohio politicians]]
* [[Political Party Strength in Ohio]]
* [[2004 U.S. election voting controversies, Ohio]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*  [http://www.ohiodems.org/ Ohio Democratic Party]

{{OhioPoliticalParties}}
{{U.S. Democratic Party state parties}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ohio Democratic Party| ]]
[[Category:Democratic Party (United States) by state]]
[[Category:Political parties in Ohio|Democratic Party]]