Oct 11, 2024

Rallying for Democracy: Ohio’s 2024 Senate Race

Written By: Kayleigh Slifko

I was eager to attend the rally in Columbus, Ohio, where Senator Sherrod Brown and his Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno, looked to mobilize voters on the first day of early voting for the 2024 U.S. Senate election. With both candidates holding rallies only a couple of hours apart on October 8th, 2024, it highlighted the intensity of the race and the stakes involved, especially for Ohio, with this state swinging between red and blue in recent elections. There’s a lot to reflect on looking at these events and the bigger issues of weakening democracy and voter behavior. 

As I reflect on this week’s events, I’m reminded that democratic erosion isn’t just a concept we learn about. It’s happening right in front of us, in how these campaigns are being run, the issues being highlighted, and the stakes of this Senate race. In a state like Ohio, often seen as a predictor of national trends, what happens here could be a measure of how strong democracy is in the U.S.

One particular moment from Sherrod Brown’s rally stood out to me. He talked about how Ohioans deserve leaders who will protect democracy, not undermine it. It’s a message that resonates with many people who feel that democracy is fragile right now. We’ve seen efforts to undermine faith in the electoral process, not just through disinformation but also through efforts to intimidate voters or question the legitimacy of elections before the results are even in. This kind of rhetoric, if left unchecked, can have lasting effects on the stability of our democratic systems. 

At Moreno’s rally, there was energy and a sense of urgency among his supporters. They feel that they are fighting for the future of the country. But there’s also a sense of mistrust, not just of Democrats, but of the entire system. This mistrust has been built by years of claims that elections are rigged, and it’s a mistrust that will be hard to overcome no matter who wins in November. It’s not that questioning government is inherently wrong; a healthy skepticism is part of a functioning democracy. But when that skepticism turns into rejecting democratic institutions, it threatens the system.

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