Ohio Supreme Court Campaign
Nearly 80,000 more Ohio voters cast a ballot in the 2022 general election than in the 2018 midterm, and although we did not see all of the results we hoped for, we won key congressional races, expanded progressive judicial seats in the lower courts, and even saw Akron pass a police accountability measure, proving that Ohioans are more activated than ever before to fight for self-determination after the overturn of Roe vs. Wade and countless other attacks on our rights.
Our 41 canvassers far exceeded their goals to educate Ohio voters on the progressive platforms of our endorsed candidates, reaching out with nearly 1,000,000 total calls and text messages. We turned out nearly 700 folks who had never voted before, and we were thrilled to see wins by Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Congressman Greg Landsman, and Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley. Our campaign was a tremendous success, with 80,000 more voters showing up at the polls than the 2018 midterm election and more Ohioans voting in the Ohio Supreme Court race than for Democrats at the top of the ticket–an historic electoral feat!
This is a HUGE testament to the work of the Ohio Women’s Alliance Action Fund and our coalition partners' commitment to voter education connecting the courts to abortion access. The number of people who voted in the Ohio Supreme Court race proves what we already know—when we talk about abortion access, people are moved to vote and take action!
“I'm incredibly proud of the work OWA has done in three short years since its founding. I remember being at the launch party with Rhiannon and Erin and already being so excited about their vision. I am honored to now be part of the OWA team and that I was able to lead our 2022 Action Fund campaign work, talking to hundreds of thousands of Ohioans about Reproductive Justice and what our communities need, want, and deserve,” says Deputy Director Jordyn Close.
Despite the challenges Ohio faced in 2022, Jordyn is grounded in the “beauty and resilience” of our communities: “That is why I continue putting my body on the line and pushing forward with organizing work. I want to continue growing and building on the decades of work that organizers before me started.”
Thank you to Deputy Director Jordyn Close and Senior Campaign Manager Ana Martinez for leading our remarkable campaign efforts in 2022!
OWA Action Fund Staff, Change Makers, and our partners gathered at the Statehouse to stop HJR 6—the direct attack on citizen-led ballot initiatives like our efforts to enshrine abortion protection in the Ohio Constitution!
Statehouse Hearing Buddies & Change Makers
Ohio Women’s Alliance Action Fund and our partners were instrumental in achieving huge wins during December’s Lame Duck season at the Ohio statehouse, including the defeat of House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6)—the direct attack on citizen-led ballot initiatives like our efforts to enshrine abortion protection in the Ohio Constitution.
Senior Campaign Manager Ana Martinez launched our new Statehouse Hearing Buddies program, where folks received training on how to write testimony and attend hearings for bills that we were monitoring during Lame Duck 2022. Thank you to all who joined us for the Rally for Democracy on Tuesday, December 13—our presence in the statehouse that day prevented extremist conservatives from even putting HJR 6 to a vote in 2022! The Hearing Buddies program has continued into 2023—click to sign up.
Although HJR 6 died in Lame Duck, it has been reintroduced as HJR 1 during the 145th General Assembly, which we know is a direct attack on our recent success in the first steps to get abortion on the ballot this November. That’s why we have launched our 2023 Change Makers program—an initiative of our Reproductive Justice Cooperative. Ana Martinez is leading a cohort of 15-20 people interested in taking their passion for Reproductive Justice to the Statehouse and beyond. The 10-month program will cover the ins and outs of advocacy, relational organizing, and civic engagement.
We are thrilled that none of the abortion bans that could have passed even saw the light of day during Lame Duck 2022. In addition to that huge victory and the death of HJR6, click to read about the other bills that were also stopped because of the pressure OWA Action Fund and our partners!
Interested in getting involved in our advocacy work this year? Contact Senior Campaign Manager Ana Martinez at ana@ohiowomensalliance.org!