Democrat Kathleen Clyde was in Akron on Monday to discuss her run for Ohio’s Secretary of State.
During an appearance at the Akron Press Club, Clyde said her priorities include better security for Ohio’s voting machines and automatic voter registration.
One audience member asked whether or not President Donald Trump could have an effect on midterm elections. Clyde’s opponent, Republican state Sen. Frank LaRose, said he would welcome Trump campaigning for him. Clyde said she isn’t sure that’s a positive.
“I look at the issues involved in this race and you know, seeing President Trump come out and say millions of people tried to vote illegally, start a commission to look into this illegal voting," Clyde says. "When it comes to this important race, that’s not the conversation we ought to be having.”
Clyde says she supports Issue 1 on the May ballot, because it would change the way lines are drawn for Ohio’s Congressional districts, but she wants to ensure the process is transparent.
“I have introduced a plan in the legislature to make sure that this new process for state redistricting, and hopefully for Congressional redistricting if the issue passes, is transparent," Clyde says. "That there are no meetings in the bunker where the public is shut out, we should provide regular briefings to the public, and just make this process as open as possible.”
Both Clyde and LaRose are running unopposed in the May primary and will face each other in the general election in November.
