Politics in Ohio are going to get ugly over the next two months, and that’s BEFORE any of our newly elected officials even take office.
Ohio voters delivered a pretty clear message on Tuesday. They elected Dr. Amy Acton as governor and elected Democrats to three of the four other statewide executive offices. Oh, and broke the Republican supermajority in the Ohio House.
For the first time in 20 years, Ohio will have a Democratic governor. And Republicans will no longer have enough votes in the House to override a governor’s veto without Democratic support.
That’s a pretty significant change for a party that has grown accustomed to getting its way.
But there’s a catch.
None of those newly elected officials take office until January. Meanwhile, the Republicans currently controlling the Ohio General Assembly still have their supermajority through December.
That gives them nearly two months to focus their energy on two things: rush through legislation that might not survive Governor Acton’s veto, and potentially strip powers from the governor’s office before she ever gets the keys.
They call these two months after an election and before newly electeds take office: Lame Duck Season. And I predict it is going to be ugly.
And before anyone thinks that wouldn’t happen here, we should look at what Republicans have done elsewhere.
We’ve seen this playbook before.
In 2018, Wisconsin voters elected Democrat Tony Evers as governor, defeating Republican incumbent Scott Walker.
Rather than simply accepting the results, Republican lawmakers used their lame-duck session to pass legislation restricting the powers of the incoming governor and attorney general. They increased legislative oversight and shifted authority over government appointments. And who signed those bills? Their outgoing Republican Governor.
Funny how that works.
In North Carolina Republicans pulled a similar stunt in 2016, after Democrat Roy Cooper won their governor’s seat. They reduced the number of state employees directly controlled by the governor, imposed additional confirmation requirements and shifted certain powers away from his administration.
Then, in 2024, they did it again!
After Democrat Josh Stein won the governor’s office, Republicans passed legislation transferring the governor’s authority to appoint members of the State Board of Elections to the incoming Republican state auditor.
Outgoing Democratic Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the legislation, but Republicans overrode him before losing their veto-proof legislative majority.
Sound familiar? That’s almost exactly the situation Ohio finds itself in today.
What could Republicans try in Ohio?
We don’t have to guess. Some of the groundwork is already being laid.
Just before the election, the conservative Buckeye Institute released recommendations urging the state’s lawmakers to transfer greater regulatory authority from the executive branch to the legislature.
Several proposals were put on the table…
House Bill 1024 would move the Common Sense Initiative, an office created under Republican Governor John Kasich, from the governor’s office to the legislature.
House Bill 11 would require legislative approval for certain costly regulations proposed by state agencies.
Other recommendations from the Buckeye Institute would give lawmakers more control over the Department of Education and Workforce, which Republicans moved under the governor’s authority in 2023 (a different power grab story for another time) and require legislative approval before certain governor’s emergency regulations become permanent.
But I have a question.
Why should powers exercised by Republican governors for years suddenly belong to the legislature when Ohioans elect a Democrat?
There are endless other possibilities worth watching including changes to appointments on state boards and commissions or restrictions on the incoming attorney general’s authority. Those aren’t confirmed Ohio proposals (yet), but they’re exactly the kinds of changes Republicans have enacted in other states.
If Ohio Republicans attempt something similar, let’s call it what it is:
a Republican power grab.
And don’t forget about the bills they could rush through.
And stripping powers from the governor isn't the only thing we should be worried about. There's also the legislation Republicans could rush through while they still have the votes.
We’ve seen how controversial legislation can move during Ohio’s lame-duck sessions.
In December 2022, Republicans expanded House Bill 458 into a sweeping election-law bill, imposing stricter voter identification requirements, limited the number of ballot drop boxes per county to just one, and reducing absentee voting deadlines.
In 2024, they finalized Senate Bill 104, which started as legislation concerning college credit programs but eventually included restrictions on which school bathrooms students could use, and prevented designating a bathroom as nongendered, multigendered or open to all genders.
Both became law.
This year, immigration enforcement and restrictions on individual rights are areas worth watching.
And there are plenty of other controversial proposals still sitting in Columbus. House Bill 36 would authorize executions using nitrogen gas, despite Governor DeWine’s call to abolish the death penalty. House Bill 586 would prohibit mailing unsolicited absentee ballot applications, while Senate Bill 451 proposes broader changes to voter registration and election administration. Senate Bill 113 would eliminate diversity and inclusion programs in public schools, and House Bill 698 could put state university funding at risk over similar policies.
None of these bills are guaranteed to advance during lame duck, and most haven’t passed either chamber. But they’re already introduced, and lawmakers have just weeks remaining to act before a new governor and legislature take office.
That’s why we need to watch not just the bills moving through committees, but also what gets quietly added to legislation in the final days of the session.
As we’ve seen in previous lame-duck sessions, the final version of a bill can look very different -- or be a complete replacement -- from the one originally introduced.
If Republicans have legislation they don’t believe Amy Acton will sign, they have a pretty strong incentive to finish it before January.
But Gov. Mike DeWine just complicated things.
On Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine was asked about the Republican lawmakers possibility of stripping powers from the governor’s office before Acton takes office.
According to the Ohio Capital Journal, DeWine said:
“I don’t think any governor is going to approve anything, whether Democrat or Republican, that would dramatically change the powers of the governor.”
That’s an important statement from the outgoing Republican governor.
DeWine also stated that he wants Acton’s administration to succeed and has already begun helping with her transition.
He deserves some credit for that.
But there’s an important distinction. DeWine has not promised to veto every proposal that might reduce the governor’s authority. His comments specifically addressed dramatic changes. He has other options: he could still sign a narrower bill or allow legislation to become law without his signature by letting the clock run out. (Sorry, I still don’t trust the guy.)
And even if he vetoes legislation, Republicans could attempt to override him.
The current General Assembly has enough Republican votes to override a veto in both chambers, assuming members stick together.
BUT... They would have to move quickly.
The current General Assembly expires December 31. Ohio’s Constitution generally gives the governor ten days, excluding Sundays, to act on legislation.
If lawmakers pass a controversial bill late in December and DeWine waits until the end of his review period to veto it, the outgoing supermajority could run out of time to override him. That makes DeWine’s current position important. His public opposition isn’t a guarantee that a power grab will fail, but it certainly complicates things.
Republicans are about to hear a word they haven’t heard very often.
No.
No, Governor Acton isn’t signing that bill.
No, the legislature can’t simply override her veto without finding some Democratic support.
No, you aren’t sneaking that in the state budget.
No, Republicans don’t automatically get the final word anymore.
That’s how divided government is supposed to work.
Republicans have controlled the Ohio House since 2011, the Senate since 1985, and the governor’s office since 2011. They’ve grown accustomed to holding the keys to just about every door in Columbus. Now, for the first time in years, they’re facing a governor who will have meaningful veto power. And I believe she will use it.
I don’t expect Republicans and Democrats to agree on everything. They’re not supposed to.
Republicans don't have to agree with Acton. They certainly don't have to support her agenda. But trying to weaken the office because they lost the election? That’s a power grab and insulting to the people of Ohio.
Governor DeWine has said he doesn’t believe dramatically changing those powers would be appropriate. Now we’ll find out whether Republican legislative leaders agree.
Ohio voters made their decisions clear on November 3. Republican legislators don’t have to like those decisions. But they should respect them.
And if they spend December trying to undo what voters accomplished in November, Ohioans deserve to know exactly who’s responsible.
The Bottom Line:
Over the next two months, pay attention to what’s happening in Columbus. If lawmakers try to strip powers from the governor’s office simply because voters elected a Democrat, call it what it is: a power grab. If they try to rush controversial legislation through before the new administration takes office, shine a light on it. Read the bills, ask questions, contact your legislators, and hold them accountable. Talk about it with your friends, family, and neighbors. Share what’s happening, because these decisions affect all of us, whether we’re paying attention or not. We did our job on November 3rd, but now it is our responsibility to hold elected officials accountable.
A little about me…
Since this is my first Substack article, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Eric Lochtefeld, a lifelong Mercer County resident who served on Celina City Council from 2020 to 2023 and now serves on the Mercer County Board of Elections. I’ve also spent more than a decade working in public libraries and currently serve as treasurer of the Mercer County Democratic Party. I’ve always had an interest in government, elections, and understanding how decisions made in Columbus and Washington affect our communities. I certainly have my political opinions, and I won’t pretend otherwise, but I believe those opinions should be backed up by facts. I started this Substack because I spend a lot of time following what's happening in Ohio politics, and I figured I might as well share some of it. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but hopefully I can get a few more people interested in what's happening in Columbus and why it matters back home. Thanks for reading, I’m looking forward to writing, and I hope you’ll stick around. Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer(s).