GOP cuts ribbon on new Medina County headquarters

MEDINA — Constituents were welcomed to chat with Republican candidates under sunny skies Sunday while enjoying fresh barbecue and live music during the grand opening of the Republican Party of Medina County's new headquarters. State officials on-hand to rally support included Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Montiville Township, and Ohio District 70 Rep. Darrell Kick, R-Loudonville. "I'd like to hear some more optimism about how we're going to get everything opened up again," said Kick on what he hopes to hear in President Donald Trump's upcoming Republican National Convention speech. "I want to hear about people going back to work and the positive stories about what America has meant to people over 200-plus years. It's a very short time span in relation to other counties. We've gone through a lot and we've corrected a lot." The new hub for the county GOP is located at 2771 Medina Road, sitting within the Plaza 71 Shopping Center. The mood was energetic as local Republicans appeared ready to stump for the party as the days tick down to November "I would crawl through glass to vote for President Trump," Medina resident Charles Ernst said. "He's looking out for us and I don't think Democrats have done the same for a long time. We're all ready to support him again." The opening was timed to coincide with this year's Republican National Convention, scheduled to begin on Monday in Charlotte, N.C. as a hybrid of virtual and in-person speeches. Events will be livestreamed through Wednesday with main speakers slated to take the stage from 8:30-11 p.m. each night. Trump will likely accept the party's nomination on the final day from the White House lawn, but is said to plan nightly addresses. According to organizers, no more than 336 delegates will attend in-person proceedings in North Carolina while the 2016 RNC welcomed more than 2,400. "It has to be 100 percent about outreach and building new relationships," Kick said. "I joked for a lot of years that the perception of politics isn't always what's accurate. So, what we need to do is get our message out better when the national press isn't always on our side. Our local papers do a lot better job of talking with us and getting our actual message out." Medina County Republicans incumbents facing election challenges in November include County Commissioner Bill Hutson, Recorder Joe Salzberger, Prosecutor Forrest Thompson and Court of Common Pleas Juvenile/Probate Judge Kevin Dunn. Running unopposed on the local GOP ticket are Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice, Clerk of Courts David B. Wadsworth, Treasurer John Burke, Engineer Andrew Conrad and Coroner Lisa Deranek. Current Ohio District 69 Rep. Steve Hambley, R-Brunswick, is squaring off against Michael Terrance Conway, D-Brunswick, to fill Republican County Commissioner Pat Geissman's seat following Hambley's primary victory over her. Republican Mike Callow, R-Westfield Center, will attempt to unseat incumbent Medina County Court of Common Pleas General Division Judge Joyce Kimbler, D-Seville. Kick is being challenged for his District 70 seat by Kevin Barnet, D-Ashland. "I'd could see more consensus and civility (in state and federal government) down the road but I don't know if it's going to happen in the next 4 to 8 years," Kick said. "It's a wonderful thing to achieve and strive for. I think the president gets a bad rap in that regard. As far as my race goes, everyone has been wonderful today. "Many people I've talked to are frustrated with our governor for what they feel is overreach during this pandemic." Dale and Flo Cubic, of Litchfield Township, were spotted taking pictures with a life-size cardboard cutout of the president and expressed how Trump cemented their support. "I want him to just keeping doing what he's doing," Dale said. "A lot of people didn't appreciate being called deplorables four years ago. I didn't appreciate that. (Trump) talks on our level and doesn't look down on us. There's no double-talk or hypocrisy." "The president has been handicapped by what everyone else has done to him," said Flo. "If they leave him alone, God knows what he can do." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330)721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.