Here's How Some Ohio Politicians Fared Post-RNC and DNC

While Cleveland’s approval rating got a huge boost during this summer’s convention season, not all our local politicians can make the same claim. Now that both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention have wrapped, we cast our vote on how five Ohio political figures look post-convention (with a little anonymous exit polling from four Northeast Ohio insiders).



Marcia Fudge, Democrat
U.S. Representative, Ohio District 11
5 out of 5 stars
Why: America, meet Marcia Fudge. The congresswoman shined in the limelight as the permanent chair of the Democratic convention. A Clinton supporter, Fudge added stability after the implosion of party head Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Despite some hiccups — like forgetting to actually gavel to close the proceedings — she was her usual measured self. Fudge’s loyalty and even-handedness are likely to be rewarded in a Clinton administration. 



Rob Portman, Republican 
Ohio Senator
4 out of 5 stars
Why: Portman is between Trump and a hard place. He balanced party and principles by building Habitat for Humanity homes and holding a mini-convention at Cuyahoga Community College featuring Newt Gingrich. Dragged briefly into the Trump camp’s attacks on Gov. John Kasich, Portman has improved his standing with several union endorsements.



John Kasich, Republican
Ohio Governor 
3 out of 5 stars
Why: Kasich has thus far refused to endorse Donald Trump. Sidestepping the RNC while making appearances in Cleveland emphasized his absence from a convention in his home state, which has riled some party loyalists. Rejecting Trump could set him up, however, for another run if the Donald collapses. 



Ted Strickland, Democrat
Former Ohio Governor
2 out of 5 stars
Why: Strickland, who’s running to unseat Portman, only registered a blip in Philadelphia, despite navigating a much less rocky convention path. The status quo means trouble for Strickland, who may need major Hillary Clinton momentum for a November win.



Nina Turner, Democrat
Former State Senator and Television Personality
1 out of 5 stars
Why: Turner is adrift, and the waves are cresting. A supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, she was reportedly knocked off the DNC program. And in a sign of her growing distance from the party’s mainstream, she was offered — and subsequently rejected — a vice presidential spot on the ticket of Green Party nominee Jill Stein. But does she find her political port of call by using that independence as an advantage and moving back into local politics after 2016?