The members of the Ohio Republican Party's state central committee vote on whether to keep Matt Borges as state party chair or to replace him with Jane Timken, the Stark County GOP vice chair. The only Democrat serving in statewide office - Supreme Court Justice William O'Neill - says he’ll spend this year deciding if he wants to run for governor next year.
This week marked the beginning of not just a new calendar year, but also a new two-year legislative session. Thirty-three senators were sworn in and elected their leaders, including new Senate President Larry Obhof, a Republican of Medina, and incumbent Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni, a Democrat of Boardman. The 99 House members, who were all on the ballot last fall, also took their oaths of office in groups of nine. Then they re-elected their leaders, including Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, a Republican of Clarksville, and Minority Leader Fred Strahorn, a Democrat of Dayton. Rosenberger and Strahorn sat down for an interview just before the New Year.