A Labor Day Status Report

We’ve been starting Crystal Ball pieces with a few “key points” summing up the article. As we head into Labor Day weekend and the start of the sprint to Election Day, we thought we’d do something different. Instead of key points from this article, here are some key points about […] Read more »

How the Kasich dilemma is paralyzing Trump’s Republican critics

Ohio Gov. John Kasich was among the big winners when Republican Troy Balderson apparently survived last week’s special election for a US House seat centered on Columbus. Kasich was also among the biggest losers. In the process, he encapsulated the puzzle facing the small band of Republicans consistently critical of […] Read more »

Parsing Ohio’s 12th: Neither Party Should Rush to Conclusions Just Yet

In 1982, as a young opposition researcher at the National Republican Congressional Committee, one of “my candidates” was an equally young John Kasich running in Ohio’s 12th District. He was the only GOP challenger to win in that first off-year election of the Reagan presidency, and Republicans have held the […] Read more »

The House: Ratings Changes in the Aftermath of Another Nail-Biter Special Election

Is there such a thing as a moral victory in politics? Democrats hope so in OH-12. While the race remains uncalled, it appears as though state Sen. Troy Balderson (R) will squeak by Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Connor (D) in a closely-watched special election in this traditionally Republican district that […] Read more »