Doctor campaigns in area

PERKINS TWP. — A Democratic candidate for secretary of state, Dr. Bryan Hambley, said he is running to make elections in Ohio more honest and fair. "I do not believe that's a partisan issue in Ohio," he said. Hambley — a Cincinnati physician who specializes in leukemia treatment — served as the featured guest when Democratic women of Erie County hosted a picnic Monday evening at Strickfaden Park in Perkins Township. 'Drawing' up his platform Gerrymandering has become a partisan issue nationally with Republicans who control the legislature in Texas seeking to redraw U.S. House districts to reduce the number of Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House. Democrats who control California's state government plan to retaliate with a new gerrymandering effort, too, to reduce Republican U.S. House members. Republicans who are redrawing U.S. House districts in Ohio this year are believed to be discussing how to reduce the number of Democratic lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, has said she expects to be targeted. Hambley said it's wrong to draw Congressional districts to favor one party or the other. "Our districts should be drawn not by politicians but by an independent redistricting commission. This is done in other states. It works. I think we should do it here in Ohio," he told the Register. Ballot shaping up Ohio's secretary of state handles various business filings, but the main job is to help run Ohio elections. The incumbent is a Republican, Frank LaRose, who can't run again because of term limits and seeks to become Ohio's next state auditor. His replacement will be elected next year. Robert Sprague, the state treasurer, is the best-known Republican running for secretary of state. There's also a second Republican candidate, Marcell Strbich, an Air Force veteran who lives in Montgomery County. Hambley said he doesn't know if any other Democrats are getting into the race. Banning votes via mail? Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he plans to issue an executive order to ban mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections. Russian leader Vladimir Putin also believes mail-in ballots are bad, said Trump, who links mail-in ballots to fraud. It is "completely false" to say mail-in ballots are rampant with fraud, Hambley said. Hambley said he hears "all the time" from voters how useful it is to be able to vote by mail. "Nurses who work 12-hour shifts, if you work 6 (p.m.) to 6 (a.m.) or 7 (a.m.) to 7 (p.m.) in a hospital, it's tough to get to an in-person voting location," he said. People who have mobility issues can have trouble dealing with getting to the polls, he said. Hambley has vowed to campaign in all of Ohio's 88 counties and said he's been making progress. "This is our 134th event this evening. We've been to over 50 counties so far," he said. Democrats in Ohio have been getting some clarity this week on who some of their top candidates will be in next year's elections: • Former senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, announced Monday he will run for the Senate next year, challenging Republican Jon Husted. • Dr. Amy Acton, the former director of the state health department during the pandemic, is running for governor as a Democrat. • It's believed other Democrats may get into the race for governor. Tim Ryan, a former Democratic member of the U.S. House, is believed to be thinking about it. Hambley said Brown's announcement pleased him. "Sherrod Brown running for Senate is a huge boost to us," Hambley said. "Having him involved, engaged, bringing in talented organizers is going to be good for everyone downticket in Ohio, especially me running downballot for an office that many people often forget exists." Hambley said he has gone to rural places as well as to Ohio cities. "The thing we hear in rural communities is that Democrats don't come because they don't think there are any Democrats that live there, and Republicans don't come, because they take the counties for granted," he said.