Russo Campaigns in Jefferson County, Outlines Election Priorities
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STEUBENVILLE -- Democratic secretary of state candidate Allison Russo said Tuesday that listening to Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections would be a priority if elected.
"Every board of elections in every county is different, and there are unique issues," Russo said after meeting with Jefferson County Board of Elections Director Bob Gale and Deputy Director Ernest Burress.
Russo, a former state representative and minority leader, was in the area for a campaign swing that included stops with the Upper Ohio Valley Building and Trades Council and at the Jefferson County Fair. She is challenging Republican Bob Sprague and Libertarian Tom Pruss for the seat held by term-limited Republican Frank LaRose.
Russo said Ohio’s election system is secure but said she opposes efforts she believes would make voting more difficult.
"I think, right now, Ohio has a very good process," she said. "We have elections that are run by dedicated local election officials. We have Republicans and Democrats who are part of the process. Everything has a check and balance."
Russo said her priorities would include advocating for voters, supporting county election officials and increasing civic engagement, particularly among young voters.
She also opposes Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would require photo identification to vote. Russo said Ohio already has strict photo ID requirements and argued placing them in the constitution could make future changes more difficult.
Sprague’s campaign disagreed.
"Russo has voted three times against photo identification to vote and opposes Issue 3 to put photo ID requirements into the Ohio constitution, but she supports ballot harvesting drop boxes and letting noncitizens vote in Ohio elections," spokesman Dalton Throckmorton said. "As secretary, she would gut virtually every election security measure Ohio has put in place to keep our elections honest and voter fraud rare."
A request for comment from the Sprague campaign was not answered before Russo’s comments on the state’s election system.
Jefferson County Democratic Party Chairman Eddie Adballa endorsed Russo, saying she would work to make voting more accessible to eligible voters.