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A lot happened this year for both Ohio and the nation — one being the general election in November.
The election was one of the top political topics for Ohio this year, and much of the most popular political content revolved around that.
Take a look at the political topics Ohioans read most about this year:
This year, Ohio’s Sen. JD Vance (R) became the vice-president elect, and he is set to take the White House with President-elect Donald Trump in January. Spectrum News 1 covered his journey to the Oval Office this year, and some of the reporting were the most read stories of the year.
Starting out with Vance’s childhood home, based in Middletown, Ohio. Spectrum News 1 reporter Sheena Elzie traveled there to talk with the family currently living in his childhood home. The family discussed how people were coming from all over the country to take pictures of the home, and said they were concerned about what to do with the house once Vance became the vice-president elect. Read more here.
Additionally, a podcast from 2021 resurfaced this year, in which Spectrum News 1 Anchor Curtis Jackson talked with Vance about why he was running at the time for the Senate seat to succeed then-Sen. Rob Portman. Take a listen here.
After becoming the vice-president elect, many people wondered what the process is to fill his Senate seat, and who would fill it. Washington, D.C. reporter Harri Leigh broke down the top contenders, which can be read here.
In 2023, Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. The law went into effect earlier this year, making it one of the most-read topics in politics this year.
Spectrum News 1 followed the process as it became legal, from tracking when businesses could be operational to outlining what was illegal and not legal when it came to possession. Spectrum News 1 reporter Sheena Elzie met with a dispensary before they were able to sell the product, and how they were preparing for it. Read that here.
Once it was available to purchase, Spectrum News 1 broke down the laws and regulations surrounding it to better inform Ohioans.
While Vance was high on the top topics for Ohio, many stories relating to the election were, too, from campaign rallies to local issues and everything in between. There was a lot that happened this year in relation to the election, and Ohioans were in the know.
This year, Trump faced an assassination attempt at one of his rallies in July in Pennsylvania. Trump was hurt by a bullet that pierced his ear, and the moment sent the rally into chaos. Trump was able to recover, but the shooter had killed one person and injured two others.
On a local scale, residents wanted to know about Issue 1, which would have changed the way Ohio draws its districts by creating a citizen-led commission. The issue failed, therefore, the current process remains intact.
Going in deeper to the locality of the election, history was made once again. Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur continued her streak as the longest-serving woman in House history after defeating opponent Republican State Rep. Derek Merrin in a nail-biter of a race.
Reporter Harri Leigh also covered the history of Ohio’s elections, and how it was once a swing state that turned to the right and lost some influence. As they say, "Where Ohio went, so went the nation in years past." Those who won the Buckeye State won the national election from 1964 until 2020, when the state took a sharp right turn, ending its bellwether status. Read more here.
