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August 5th, 2022 Political Note #490 Jeff Crossman Ohio Attorney General
2022 General Election
The Republican incumbent Attorney General, Dave Yost, put his foot in it. An Ohio ten-year old’s abortion made national news. The abortion was in Indiana. In 2019, Ohio had made abortions illegal after six weeks of pregnancy. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade this year, a federal judge lifted the injunction against Ohio enforcing the 2019 law. The 2019 law made no exceptions
Three days after the Hobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade, an Ohio doctor who works with abused children called Dr. Caitlan Bernard, an OB-GYN in Indianapolis. The Ohio doctor had a 10 year-old who had been raped and was six weeks pregnant who could not get an abortion legally in Ohio. She could get an abortion legally in Indiana. Not long after the telephone conversation, the Indianapolis Star reported that a 10 year-old had an abortion in Indianapolis after traveling from Ohio where the abortion would have been illegal. President Joe Biden spoke about the need for this girl to travel out of state with disgust
The media responded. Three media outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch and family denounced the President for repeating a lie. Tucker Carlson on Fox news said “it turns out the story was not true.” The New York Post said the story “looks like a lie.” The Wall Street Journal described it as a “fanciful tale.”
And that’s when David Yost put his foot in it. He joined in and stated there was “ ‘not a whisper’ of evidence to support the story.” He added “that the details were probably a fabrication because there had been no arrest for rape and no evidence.” (It is not clear what Yost meant by a lack of evidence.)
Then there was an arrest and a confession. Gerson Fuentes, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested for raping the ten year old girl. Reasonably fast on his feet, David Yost praised the Columbus, Ohio police department for arresting Fuentes and getting a confession. He said his “heart aches” for the child,
Arguably, the Indiana Attorney General was worse. He searched for ways to punish Dr. Caitlan Bernard for performing the abortion, perhaps for not reporting the abortion for a child as required by Indiana law. No such luck. Dr. Bernard had followed the law and Attorney General Todd Rokita, Indiana Attorney General, could have seen the report had he bothered to look. Nevertheless, the Indiana Attorney General is still investigating.
There is an important difference between Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. Rokita is not up for election until 2024. David Yost is up for election in November, 2022. Dave Yost’s missteps are in front of the people who will vote soon. They were big enough for his attitude toward the rape and pregnancy of a ten year old to be a political issue. He does not step back effectively by making loud noises about how eager he is for the rapist to be punished.
Yost was the one who made the argument to US District Court Michael Barrett that the injunction against enforcing the 2019 law should be lifted. Not all Ohioans agree. In a recent poll 53% of Ohioans supported women’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Only 39% thought there should be restrictions on abortions.
Yost heard from his family about the issue. His daughter in law posted:
Just so you know….
> I had 2 abortions, both at 7 & 8 weeks pregnant. By choice.
> I got pregnant and carried a baby for 9 months. By choice.
Neither choice is better or worse than the other. The fact that I had a CHOICE is what matters. Charis and I are both here to be supportive to anyone who needs it, for any reason. These are. tough times. Let’s be there for each other.
Yost’s son Charis followed up his wife’s statement:
I stand with my wife and her choice. The subject is one that has been heavy on my mind for a long time. On one hand my mother was a baby that was given the chance at life from a woman who kept her baby and then put her up for adoption. On the other, my wife was able to make the choice to terminate a situation she wasn’t ready for. At the end of the day i think the biggest thing is that it comes down to having a CHOICE. To keep a baby and put it up for adoption is a choice to continue life, to terminate life because of the inability to provide or the crushing anxiety of knowing that the kid might not ever get a chance of a normal life is a choice. Let alone the horror stories of rape, incest, etc. I believe that pro life can exist within pro choice. But the lack of pro choice is blatantly against what this country says it is on its banners and documents. The land of the free doesn’t seem so free right now.
Jeffrey Crossman, running for Attorney General of Ohio, is an important down ballot candidate. He is an Ohio State Rep from Parma, representing that city plus Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, and parts of southwest Cleveland. Raised by a single mother, first in his family to graduate from college, he went to the University of Mount Union, got an MA from Akron University and a JD from Cleveland-Marshall College. He has been a corporate attorney for a large Cleveland real estate firm, a Parma City Councilor, and a Board Member of the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland.
As part of his campaign, Jeff Crossman attended a rally for reproductive freedom and described Governor Mike DeWine and Attorney General Dave Yost as “cut from the same cloth.” He has had a particular interest in government accountability. He has urged the legislature to pass anti-corruption legislation, giving a speech on the second anniversary of the arrest of the former Speaker of the House for bribery.
Jeff Crossman has a clever solution to the State Supreme Court’s inability to force the Redistricting Commission and the legislature to conform to the Ohio constitution and eschew gerrymandering. He filed a criminal complaint against the Redistricting Commission and its members (Five Republican officials and 2 Democrats) for dereliction of duty and interference with civil rights. These complaints could lead to jail time for the commission’s members. He has other down to earth solutions as well. The Centene Insurance company and its subsidiary Buckeye Health plan were restored as a managed care option for participation in Ohio’s $20 Billion Medicaid program after paying $88 million for charging for duplicate services. Jeff Crossman suggested that any health insurer making such an agreement should be required to take at least a year’s time out from providing services.
Jeff Crossman had not intended that his campaign be about abortion rights. When he announced his candidacy, he said: “I think Ohio’s are ready to hear a message. I think we’ll hear a message of accountability for the folks that are costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars every single day ….Republican Attorney General Dave Yost hasn’t done enough to hold First Energy and the players in the scandal accountable, especially when it comes to criminal investigation and prosecution.”
Dave Yost has raised $2 million for his campaign. At the end of 2021, Jeff Crossman had less than $50,000 in campaign funds. Nevertheless, when he received an unsolicited donation from First Energy, he made those funds available for low income families unable to pay their utility bills.
Ohio is a Republican state. November’s election results will be mixed. The Democratic candidate for the US Senate, Tim Ryan, could win. The Democratic candidate for Governor is a less likely possibility. If Jeff Crossman can get enough money to get his message out, he could be another statewide winner in Ohio. Donate. Help him be in the mix.
Attorney General races worth noting:
Democratic Attorney General candidates (The People who are the legal representatives of the state.)
Arizona Kris Mayes (Political Note #470) v one of six Republicans
Arkansas Litigator Jesse Joe Gibson v Lt. Governor Tim Griffin
Georgia State Senator Jen Jordan (Political Note #441) v Incumbent Chris Carr
Idaho Attorney and national health figure Steven Scanlin
Iowa Incumbent Tom Miller v County Attorney Brenna Bird
Kansas Attorney Chris Mann (Political Note #425) v extremist Secretary of State Kris Klaubach.
Michigan Incumbent Dana Nessel (Political Note #415) v Trump acolyte Attorney Matthew DePerno
Minnesota Incumbent Keith Ellison (Political Note #442) v probable nominee Attorney Jim Schultz
Nevada Incumbent Aaron Ford (Political Note #360) v Attorney Sigal Chattah
New Mexico County DA Raul Torrez v ex military attorney Jeremy Gay
Ohio Ex City Counselor Jeff Crossman (Political Note #490) v Incumbent Dave Yost
Texas Attorney Rochelle Garza. (Political Note #472) v Incumbent Greg Abbott
Wisconsin Incumbent Josh Kaul (Political Note #367) v one of four Republicans
Secretary of State candidates. (The people in charge of elections)
Arizona Reginald Boulding (Political Note #437) or another Democrat v one of six Republicans
Georgia State Rep Bee Nguyen (Political Note #409) v Incumbent Brad Raffensperger
Michigan Incumbent Jocelyn Benson (Political Note #435) v Big Lie enthusiast Kristina Karamo
Minnesota Incumbent Steve Simon v former candidate Kim Crockett
Nevada Attorney and ex Boxing Commissioner Cisco Aguilar (Political Note #436) v Big Lie enthusiast former state assemblyman Jim Marchant
New Mexico Incumbent Maggie Toulouse Oliver (who has already had to deal with a local who refused to certify votes) v Businesswoman Audrey Mendonca-Trujillo
Ohio City Counselor Chelsea Clark (Political Note #471) v Incumbent Frank LaRose
Lt Governor Candidates (Really, only Texas has an independently powerful Lt. Governor)
Texas Education Advocate Mike Collier v Incumbent Dan Patrick
Gubernatorial candidates with projections from 538
- Michigan Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer defeats radio host Tudor Dixon by 11.5 points using the Deluxe model. By13.3 based on polls only.
- Connecticut Incumbent Ned Lamont defeats Businessman Bob Stefanowski by 9.2 using the Deluxe Model. By 9.9 based on polls only
- Minnesota Incumbent Tim Walz defeats ex State Senator Scott Jensen by 7.6 usng the Deluxe Model, By 4.8 based on polls only
- Maine Incumbent Janet Mills defeats ex Governor Paul LePage by 5 using the Deluxe Model. By 5.4 based on polls only.
- New Mexico Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham defeats TV Meteorologist Mark Ronchetti by 5.4 using the Deluxe Model. By 3.3 based on polls only.
- Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro defeats State Senator Doug Mastriano by 4.9 using the Deluxe Model. By 3.7 based on polls only
- Oregon State House Speaker Tina Kotek defeats State House Minority Leader Christine Drazin by 4.3 using the Deluxe Model. By 4.7 based on polls only
- Wisconsin Incumbent Tony Evers defeats probable nominee ex Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch by 3.3 using Deluxe Model. By 2.7 based on polls only.
- Nevada Incumbent Steve Sisolak defeats Sheriff Joe Lombardo by 1.8 using the Deluxe Model. By 2.6 based on polls only
- Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbes is tied with probable nominee ex Fox News Anchor Kari Lake using the Deluxe Model. Loses by .4 based on polls only
- Kansas Incumbent Laura Kelly loses to Attorney General Derek Schmidt by 1.3 using the Deluxe Model. By 3.3 based on polls only
- Georgia Former State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams loses to Incumbent Brian Kemp by 7.2 using the Deluxe Model. By 5.9 based on polls only
- Florida Probable nominee Charlie Crist loses to Incumbent Ron DeSantis by 11.7 using the Deluxe Model. By 8.5 based on polls only
- Texas Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke loses to Incumbent Doug Abbott by 12.9 using the Deluxe Model. By 7.6 based on polls only
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