Politics

Howard Wilkinson: Politics and More

0000017a-3b40-d913-abfe-bf44a4f90000Howard Wilkinson joined the WVXU news team as the politics reporter and columnist in April 2012 , after 30 years of covering local, state and national politics for The Cincinnati Enquirer. On this page, you will find his weekly column, Politically Speaking; the Monday morning political chats with News Director Maryanne Zeleznik and other news coverage by Wilkinson. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wilkinson has covered every Ohio gubernatorial race since 1974, as well as 16 presidential nominating conventions. Along with politics, Wilkinson also covered the 2001 Cincinnati race riots, the Lucasville prison riot in 1993, the Air Canada plane crash at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 1983, and the 1997 Ohio River flooding. And, given his passion for baseball, you might even find some stories about the Cincinnati Reds here from time to time.

The Critical Importance Of Ohio In Presidential Elections Now And Through History

91.7 WVXU

Published September 19, 2016 at 4:00 AM EDT

Since the 19th century, the only Democrats to lose Ohio yet win the presidency were John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt. And no Republican has ever lost the state and won the White House.

But this election is unlike any in recent memory. Ohio will certainly play a pivotal role, but which way the state will swing and how its vote will affect the final outcome is anyone's guess right now.

Joining us to take a look at Ohio at this point in the presidential race are University of Virginia Center for Politics Director of Communications and Sabato'?s Crystal Ball Managing Editor Kyle Kondik, who's recent book, ?The Bellwether: Why Ohio Picks the President,? details the state's importance in presidential elections; and WVXU political reporter Howard Wilkinson.

Kyle Kondik and Howard Wilkinson will be at the main branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County this evening at 7 p.m. for a discussion and book signing. The event will be in the library's Reading Garden Lounge, and be moderated by WVXU's Mark Hayne. For more information, click here.