Democrats think the key to winning races in Ohio is shoring up support in the pockets that reliably vote for them.
Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati — collectively known as the “three C’s” — make up the state’s largest Democratic voting blocs. The cities have helped Democrats in recent local elections, which they say could serve as a blueprint for other higher-profile wins. Still, Democratic enthusiasm and turnout in the three C’s need a significant boost if they want the state to be competitive in 2026, when they’ll look to flip a Republican-held Senate seat and take back the governor’s mansion.
Democrats made the case that they can tap more voters there as urban areas increasingly become the national strongholds for the party, but they acknowledged that they have work to do to win over their own base.