The Franklin County Democrats voted to endorse Tiara Ross in the two-way race for Columbus City Council District 7, representing downtown Columbus.
The party鈥檚 central committee voted 106 in favor, 48 against and a small number of abstentions Tuesday night to endorse Ross after debate over whether the party should even weigh in on the race. Jesse Vogel, the second candidate in the race, argued the party shouldn鈥檛 endorse and instead let voters decide on their own.
Ross said she is proud to accept the endorsement of the party after multiple challenges to her candidacy rocked her campaign before the primary.
"This campaign was built on a coalition supported by elected leaders from the city, this state, this county, but most important, powered by labor leaders and unions, by neighborhood leaders, and by people of every creed, color, and background," Ross said.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 683 Hall on Goodale Boulevard was packed and not only with roughly 150 of the over 200 members of the party's central committee. Many community members and supporters of the two candidates showed up.
When Franklin County Democratic Party Chair Michael Sexton announced the vote count, sealing Ross' endorsement a cheer went up and Ross shed tears. Several people left the room when one yelled "Stop the Machine."
Vogel argued the party shouldn't endorse because it would allow voters to decide for themselves and create a fair fight.
"(Voters) want a choice and discussion on the ballot this year. If this party gets involved in endorsing in this race, it will send a message to Democrats that they don't have a choice. And it will hamper our ability to continue to do the hard work to mobilize voters across the city and to continue reverse the decline in turnout that threatens our values in Franklin County," Vogel said.
Ross is running on a platform focused on housing affordability and her experience working in city government as an assistant city attorney with the Property Action Team.
Vogel is running on the affordability of the city at large, arguing for free bus fare with COTA and fighting back aggressively against Republican's attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion. Vogel, knowing many elected officials endorsed his opponents, has said he doesn't want to conform to the "status quo" in Columbus politics.
Ross won a May primary narrowly against Vogel and Independent candidate Kate Curry-Da-Souza. Before the election, it was revealed she owed over $3,000 in unpaid parking tickets and was driving on a suspended license.
Ross won the primary with 41% of the vote compared to 39% for Vogel. They were separated by about 700 votes.
Although Vogel won more votes in the boundaries of District 7.
Ross is backed by almost all of Columbus's elected officials including Mayor Andrew Ginther, all of city council and her boss, City Attorney Zach Klein. Those elected officials also dropped tens of thousands of dollars into her campaign before the primary.
Ross was recommended by the Franklin County Democratic Party screening committee, which interviewed both candidates.
Gretchen James, the chair of the party's screening committee, said Ross was endorsed because of her experience working with the city.
"Tiara's combination of legal expertise and community engagement make her exceptionally well-suited for Columbus City Council. She has a clear understanding of city government operations and a demonstrated ability to drive impactful change from day one," James said.
James also praised Vogel as a "passionate advocate" but said the committee, which didn't come to a unanimous decision noticed gaps in his understanding of city government, authority, and implementation pathways for public policy.
"In the current political climate where collaboration and strategic governance are crucial the committee believes that the district requires and residents deserve a leader with more experience navigating governmental systems and delivering tangible results," James said.
But before the vote, State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio of Gahanna tried to put forward an amendment to not endorse in the race, but that motion failed with 89 against, 61 in favor and one abstention.
An intense debate ensued, with multiple committee members speaking up. They argued the county party shouldn't put its finger on the scale after the city's Democratic establishment backed Ross and largely funded most of her campaign.
Adrienne Hood, a community activist, spoke up in favor of not endorsing. Hood previously ran for city council, but did not get the party's endorsement.
"This is not about Tiara. This is not about Jesse. What I have concern about is the consistency in how we do things here. Sometimes we endorse, sometimes we don't," Hood said. "Gretchen gave in her report, that they're both great candidates. So if they're great candidates, run your race, get out in the community. Let them get the community's support, and they will see you at the ballot box."
Hood and others argued that if the party wants Black voters, young voters and disenfranchised voters to show up, the party shouldn't get involved.
Supporters of Ross argued that since she won the most votes in the May primary, she should be the right candidate.
Klein, who is Ross' boss, cited her work helping residents forced to leave the now condemned Latitude Five25 towers as a reason to support her.
"There is no harder worker in city government than Tiara Ross. She works with police, she works with health, she works with code, she worked with refuse. Rolling up her sleeves every day in the property action team to make Columbus's life, residents' lives better," Klein said.
James had asked the debators to be respectful of each other, but committee members still took shots at each other and the candidates.
"Whether you are a moderate Democrat, liberal Democrat, or progressive Democrat, you are Democrat," James said.
Mary Duffy brought up Ross's driving record and pointed out that the Democrats lost the Ohio governor's race after nominating Ed Fitzgerald to run against former Governor John Kasich in 2014.
It was discovered Fitzgerald went almost 10 years without a driver's license after letting it lapse in 2002, but he still drove on it.
Duffy said endorsing in the race would decrease turnout.
"I hate that I'm being put in the position to not support the screening committee recommendation," Duffy said. "But who can think that anybody, that if we endorse in this race, that we're going to increase turnout or that we are going to increase trust in the Democratic Party? We cannot, we should not endorse," Duffy said.
State Rep. Dontavious Jarrells countered what Duffy said, arguing Ross's driving record would be a positive to low income voters who may also have driven on a suspended license, breaking the law.
"And who not better than someone who comes from the same community that is going to inspire them to believe that they can be a Tiara Ross," Jarrells said. "With driver's license issues, with some issues of debt, with the issues of navigating family trauma. And so don't sit here and be high and mighty in this Democratic Party, because reality wise, the most of these things and the least of these things are going to come from all of us."
Ross will get the advantage of being on the county party鈥檚 slate card of endorsed candidates. This slip of paper is handed out to voters at the Franklin County Board of Elections early voting site and at polling locations on Election Day.
Vogel said if he lost the endorsement, it wouldn't sink his campaign.
The city council race is technically nonpartisan, but both candidates have explicitly identified as Democrats. The two advanced to the November general election after the May primary.
District 7 represents downtown Columbus and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods. The whole city votes to fill the seat, not just voters in the district.
