COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Democratic Party's new leader says she understands there is a proverbial uphill climb to regain the party's standing in state politics.

What You Need To Know

  • Liz Walters is the first woman elected to lead the Ohio Democratic Party

  • Walters previously served as the executive director of ODP and is the Summit County Council President

  • Walters said Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are vulnerable in 2022

But she said she knows the path Democrats need to take.

The ODP elected Liz Walters as the new chair late last week following the resignation of David Pepper at the end of last year.

Spectrum News Statehouse Reporter Josh Rultenberg went one-on-one with Walters.

"I'm not naive about the scope of the work ahead," Walters said.

Walters is the new face of the Ohio Democratic Party.

She is the first woman elected to lead the party.

Walters, who was previously the executive director of ODP and recently named Summit County Council president, says being a community organizer prepared her for this moment.

"If there's any folks out there or kids out there thinking about how do I get involved and work for candidates or organizations, do a stint as a community organizer cause it's the best training you'll get," Walters said.

Ohio Democrats need her training to turn into results now that she is in charge of getting them elected.

Aside from U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and former President Barack Obama's wins in 2012, Republicans have dominated Ohio's statewide elections including the 2020 presidential race.

Former President Donald Trump not only won Ohio by eight points for the second time but the GOP increased its supermajority at the Statehouse.

When Walters was asked if Ohio is a red state for good she quickly responded, "Not at all, nope. In 2020, specifically, Democratic performance actually outpaced 2016 and that was with no national investment from partners."

She said gaining further ground and bringing back national donors starts with a party-wide self-evaluation and reorganization while also picking the right fights.

Walters said she going after Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) top the list.

"I absolutely think DeWine is vulnerable. I mean, his own party is trying to impeach him. I think he's got a really tough road ahead in the next 18 months to even get through a primary," Walters said.

She added, "Rob Portman is another politician who just has been completely culpable in the last four years of walking our country into a path of deeper division and I think Ohioans are pretty sick of it. We're ready to take him on and I think we'll have a strong candidate in that space."

Walters did not say which candidates would go up against DeWine and Portman but admits it may take more than one election cycle to see the results of the Democrat's new direction.

"This is what bad maps look like. This is why redistricting in 2021 is so important because right now Ohio really isn't a red state. It is a highly voter suppressed state based on how we draw maps and how we legislate around voter access," Walters said.

But Walters said the "road map" for how to flip the state is clear based on the last two presidential elections and the 2018 governor's race.

"We gotta do as well as Hillary (Clinton) did in the cities, as well as Rich (Cordray) did in Appalachia and as well as President (Joe) Biden did in the suburbs and that is our path and that will make it a blue Ohio," she said.