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Open Senate Seat Sparks Debate On Gender, Diversity


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An open Senate seat in Ohio has set off a scramble among state Democrats and a spirited debate over whether the nominee should be a white man or a candidate who better represents the party’s diversity.

Those discussions come as Dr. Amy Acton, a former state health director who was the face of Ohio’s early pandemic response, and veteran Congressman Tim Ryan, who represents Ohio’s blue-collar Steel Valley, position to pursue the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Rob Portman.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, a former state treasurer who is Black, are also exploring.