Experts: ‘Trump train’ likely helped Clark County candidates oust Dems

30-year sheriff and 40-year clerk among Democratic candidates who lost.


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The Springfield News-Sun has provided extensive coverage of the 2016 election, including stories digging into every contested race and new tax issue on the ballot in Clark and Champaign counties.

Three Democratic incumbents — including 30-year Sheriff Gene Kelly — were likely pushed out of their Clark County seats because of Donald Trump’s pull to get rural voters to the polls, local experts said.

That “Trump effect” on Clark County voters, plus local Republican candidate’s campaign strategies to oust their opponents, combined for wins at the polls, Wittenberg University Political Science Professor Rob Baker said.

The Republican presidential candidate who won the White House on Tuesday generated an energetic response in Clark County, Baker said.

>>READ MORE: Burchett defeats longtime incumbent Clark County sheriff

“There was also kind of an enthusiasm gap with the Democrats and that came from the top as well, so the turnout was probably not as robust as they hoped,” he said.

Leaders of the Clark County Republican Party were in a celebratory mood Wednesday after watching their candidates rack up one win after another. Chairwoman Lynda Smith agreed Trump’s influence played a major role all the way along the ballot, but also said local GOP candidates worked hard to win their seats.

Democrats were virtually shut out Tuesday, including Kelly, who has served as sheriff for three decades. Melissa Tuttle, a Republican, also defeated Democratic incumbent Ron Vincent, who had served as clerk of courts since 1977.

Kelly hasn’t returned requests for comment from the Springfield New-Sun.

Sue Allen, first vice chairwoman of the Clark County Democratic Party, said she was still grappling with the results late Wednesday morning.

“It’s just really a loss for us here locally because of some of the excellent candidates that we had,” Allen said. “I just have to attribute that to people that voted straight down the ticket all the way.”

Deborah Burchett, who beat Kelly in the sheriff’s race, grabbed the coattails of Trump’s push for new blood and to “drain the swamp” of long-time government officials, Baker said.

“(Burchett) rode that wave a little bit,” he said.

Less than 24 hours after her win, Burchett said the reality of her victory hadn’t sunk in.

“I am just very excited,” she said.

Once she’s in office she’s going to start working right away on key issues of the heroin epidemic, she said, and to rebuild the trust residents have in their law enforcement.

“I want to be out in the community,” Burchett said.

In the clerk of courts race, Tuttle used previous news coverage of the incumbent sparring with other local elected officials to her benefit, Baker said.

Vincent had sued the Clark County Auditor’s Office over the use of direct deposit checks for his pay.

>>READ MORE: Clark County clerk loses lawsuit over direct deposit

“Voters don’t pay a lot of attention to that but (Tuttle) used that to her advantage and saw an opening,” Baker said.

Republicans also took full control of the Clark County commission and swept races for the Ohio House and Senate and U.S. Congress. In the presidential race, Trump garnered about 57 percent of the vote in Clark County, compared to about 38 percent for Hillary Clinton, according to final, unofficial election results.

Republican candidates outworked their opponents, Smith said, but a turning point came when Trump hosted a rally at the Clark County Fairgrounds late last month.

“When he came here and had 8,500 people for a rally, it really enthused our voters and they came out,” she said.

The rural supporters Trump convinced to go to the polls across Ohio and the Midwest was a surprise, Baker said.

“He brought a lot of people out who had never voted before,” he said.

The election sent a clear message, Smith said, and now the burden to provide results for residents is on the Republican candidates.

“They all know that now that they’ve won, they have to deliver,” she said.

The results show that voters are upset with politicians across the board, Allen said, and the Democratic party as a whole needs to examine how it can better reach out to residents.

“People voted basically on anger and fear and Trump turned out on anger and fear,” she said. “That really makes me concerned, not only about how we will function and how we will look on the world level, but as you see it trickled down.”

Some Clark County voters, like John Kapp of Springfield, hoped for a Clinton win and said Trump supporters likely voted party lines down their entire ballot.

“I figure if they’re going to vote Republican (president) then they’re probably voting for the whole ticket,” he said.

Matt Culp of Springfield said Wednesday he was a big Trump supporter.

“All about the Trump train,” he said. “Choo choo!”

Others argued Trump had nothing to do with it, but rather people voted for the local Republican candidates because they thought they could bring positive changes to the community.

“They looked at each person and said that job can be done better,” Clark County voter Jeanette Atkins said.

Historically, Baker said, it is hard for one party to keep control of any governmental position.

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