The three candidates in the May Democratic primary for Hamilton County Commission met Thursday night in a debate co-hosted by WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Incumbent Stephanie Summerow Dumas faces two challengers: Herman Najoli, who has run two previous campaigns for local office, and current Cincinnati City Council member Meeka Owens.
Summerow Dumas and Owens both interviewed with the Hamilton County Democratic Party, seeking an endorsement; although the nominating committee recommended endorsing Summerow Dumas, the larger body voted not to endorse either candidate.
What happened at the debate
In the debate, candidates touted their professional experience and policy priorities, and lobbed some attacks at each other. Summerow Dumas addressed Owens’ criticism about public personal conflict with Commissioner Alicia Reece.
“Disagreements did not impact our ability to get projects done,” Summerow Dumas said. “We all have our individual ideas of how things should go, but we have gotten a lot done in the county of Hamilton.”
Owens addressed criticism over her decision to enter this race just a few weeks after being sworn in to another term on Cincinnati City Council.
“What I've learned in my time at the city is that issues don't stop at city borders. I've worked on issues that deal with the affordability of families in Cincinnati, to reduce evictions for families, to work on climate, to invest in healthier and safer communities,” Owens said. “This is a moment about expanding that work and scaling it up and helping more people.”
Najoli called his opponents “career politicians,” saying they’ve had years in office and it’s time for new leadership.
“Everyone in this room knows I’m not a career politician. I’m just an ordinary person, like you — from the grassroots, wanting to bring about change to our county. ” Najoli said. “You’ve elected proven leaders before, but look at where we are. Are we any better? You’ve elected career politicians. Are we any better?”
The three candidates answered questions on property taxes, the Bengals stadium lease, public safety, affordable housing, and more. You can watch the full debate below.
What's next
Early voting is open now, and Election Day for this primary contest and others in Ohio is Tuesday, May 5. Check out our voter guide for more coverage of the candidates you'll see on the ballot, and turn to WVXU for full coverage of the race results on election night.
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