COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Democrats in the Ohio Senate are trying to bolster their campaign strategy ahead of the fall elections, as they look to make inroads in a chamber that’s been under Republican control for nearly 30 years.
Three campaign staffers from the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus are attending a training conference this week organized by the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. The Washington, D.C.-based group supports Democratic state legislative candidates and majorities across the country.
The staffers are joining organizers from roughly 30 state legislative chambers for training that runs through Friday. They hope to learn how to apply Democrats’ national data in state legislative races, along with best practices used in campaigns.
Republicans have held the majority in the Ohio Senate since 1985. Currently, the GOP has 23 seats in the 33-member Senate.
Democrats will defend seven of their 10 seats this fall. They also plan to make a play for six districts held by Republicans, said Zac Kramer, executive director of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus.
In the past, Kramer said, Democrats have not had the most sophisticated state Senate campaigns. He said the training will update organizers on how to more effectively talk to voters by using the right message and the right messenger.
“We think it’s going to give us a great chance to pick up seats and slowly eat away at the Republican majority,” Kramer said in an interview.
Gaining seats won’t be easy. The Senate Democrats’ campaign fund holds just a sliver of the cash amassed by the GOP.
The latest campaign finance reports show the Senate GOP had almost $3.3 million in cash on hand, compared with the Democrats’ $131,855. The reports were released before this month’s primaries, so any late spending on those races would not be reflected.
Kramer acknowledged that Senate Democrats would likely be outspent: “We have to be smarter and more efficient with our dollars.”
Still, he added, “We’re just excited to finally make the Senate Republicans have to campaign for their jobs.”
John McClelland, a spokesman for the Senate Republican Caucus, said GOP field staff attended a national training session months ago and have been working in the districts they are targeting for more than a year.
“It’s nice to know the Dems are just now catching up to 21st century tactics now that we’re 14 years into the 21st century,” he said in an email.
Ohioans will vote for 17 senators, all 99 House members and all statewide offices this fall. Republicans also control the House, along with every statewide office.
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