Is David Thomas From Ashtabula County A Registered Republican

A lift bridge in the harbor commercial district in Ashtabula, Ohio. New political leaders in the county hope a younger generation of voters will help make up one's mind the 2020 presidential election. Steve Inskeep hide caption

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Steve Inskeep

A lift bridge in the harbor commercial district in Ashtabula, Ohio. New political leaders in the county hope a younger generation of voters volition assist determine the 2020 presidential election.

Steve Inskeep

With less than 100 days until the 2020 presidential election, Ohio's eighteen electoral votes are in play.

The country went for President Trump in 2016, and Ashtabula County is one reason why.

A Rust Belt county that was once home to a booming coal port, Ashtabula voters supported Democrats in every presidential election from 1988 to 2012. Merely Trump carried 57% of the vote at that place four years ago.

The electorate in this county may exist older than the rest of Ohio, but a new crop of political leaders on both sides of the alley hopes a younger generation will help decide the 2020 presidential election — and Ashtabula'due south futurity.

"A lot of people just want alter and then much"

Longtime residents of Ashtabula have seen the county change a lot in recent decades. Christine Seuffert, 70, says she has even experienced a change in her customs since Trump won, particularly "in the way that people treat each other. The things that they say out loud that they perhaps were e'er thinking. Perhaps it'due south good to know where people stand."

Sometime friends who meet at Ashtabula'due south Harbor Perk coffee store simply avoid talking politics considering they are divided. From left, Donna Rullo, Valerie Rich, Christine Seuffert, Jolene Salo and Kaye Lind. Steve Inskeep/NPR hide caption

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One-time friends who meet at Ashtabula's Harbor Perk coffee store but avert talking politics because they are divided. From left, Donna Rullo, Valerie Rich, Christine Seuffert, Jolene Salo and Kaye Lind.

Steve Inskeep/NPR

For the past 10 years, Seuffert has met upwards with a group of friends on many weekday mornings for java at the Harbor Perk coffee store in Ashtabula.

Seuffert and her friends have a lot in common just don't all concur on who to support for president. She and Donna Rullo, 74, a retired nurse, both grew up in union families and identified as "John F. Kennedy Democrats." Simply as the coal business organization declined in Ashtabula, and then did unions that backed Democrats.

While Seuffert remains a Democrat, Rullo voted for Trump in 2016 and plans to do then again in 2020.

"Whenever Trump talked about getting rid of the alligators in the swamp, that's what sold me," Rullo says. She acknowledges Trump has his flaws: "Trump'south a jackass most of the time. I can see why people don't like it. Doesn't mean he can't do the task."

For Seuffert, Hillary Clinton'south loss in Ashtabula County was something of a self-inflicted wound.

"I felt the Democrats in the county kind of barbarous asleep at the bike or took for granted the influence that they had," she says.

When Ashtabula County Democratic Party Chair Eli Kalil, 23, assumed the part in early on June of 2020, there were 56 vacant Democratic precinct chair positions in the county. At present at that place are none. Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR hide explanation

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Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR

When Ashtabula County Democratic Political party Chair Eli Kalil, 23, assumed the function in early on June of 2020, there were 56 vacant Democratic precinct chair positions in the county. Now there are none.

Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR

But in 2020, that could change. Eli Kalil is the 23-year-erstwhile Ashtabula Canton chairman of the Autonomous Party. When he causeless the role in early June of 2020, in that location were 56 vacant Autonomous precinct chair positions in the canton. Now there are none. Kalil was able to fill up the positions mostly with people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

He's been busy trying to help the Democratic Party energize its traditional electorate and mobilize new young voters. When Wisdom Davis, i of Kalil's classmates from inferior loftier school, decided to organize a rally for racial justice in Ashtabula, he supported the attempt.

Davis, 23, says George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police officers resonated with Ashtabula's Black residents. Black people make up just three.8% of the county's population of roughly 100,000.

Davis hesitated at beginning to join the nationwide protest motility, unsure of whether the protests would be peaceful.

"I said, these protests I feel are going to go really bad. Information technology's gonna turn into something that information technology shouldn't," she says. Only later on a few weeks, Davis decided information technology was fourth dimension. Though she'd never organized an event similar it before, she put together a rally at Lance Corporal Kevin Cornelius Memorial Park in Ashtabula on June half-dozen. Hundreds of people — of various ages and races — attended. They counted downward together the near ix minutes that police knelt on Floyd's cervix while he died. At that place was music, food, drinks and a voter registration table.

Cyclists camp outside a local buffet on Bridge Street in Ashtabula, Ohio. Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR hide caption

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Cyclists army camp outside a local cafe on Bridge Street in Ashtabula, Ohio.

Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR

The presidential election of 2016 was Davis' first every bit a registered voter. She cast a ballot, but not for Clinton or Trump. She says she doesn't yet know how she feels about Joe Biden. Just she sees voting in local elections as a key to Ashtabula's future.

"A lot of people but want change so much," she says. But, she says, "they don't know how to take the steps."

"They're motivated"

Republicans in Ashtabula Canton are besides looking to a younger generation of leaders to retain the progress the party made in 2016.

David Thomas, a 27-year-old Republican, is Ashtabula County's auditor. He beginning won elected office at 22. Thomas says canton politics take been revitalized by the participation of people in their 20s and 30s.

David Thomas, Ashtabula County'southward auditor, first won elected office at 22. Thomas says canton politics have been revitalized by the participation of people in their 20s and 30s. Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR hibernate explanation

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Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR

David Thomas, Ashtabula County's accountant, first won elected part at 22. Thomas says county politics have been revitalized by the participation of people in their 20s and 30s.

Da'Shaunae Marisa for NPR

"We've got about ten elected officials in the county who are 35 and nether. Merely in the past 10 years or and then, [at that place's been] a whole new moving ridge of leaders coming up in the canton," Thomas says.

Thomas credits the forcefulness of the Republican Party in Ashtabula County in part to the relative decline of the urban electorate there.

"Prior to 2016, substantially, the votes were in the cities where our population centers were. You had to win them in society to win the county," he says. "Myself, as an example, I lost all three of our cities, but won outside of the cities in some of the suburban areas, but mainly in some of our rural areas, too, that take grown not only in population, but also in voter participation."

And Republicans in Ashtabula County are excited about 2020.

"They're registering their friends. They've never voted before," Thomas says. "They're starting to learn about that procedure. And they're motivated."

Motivated, co-ordinate to Thomas, to go on the authorities out of their lives.

Though their philosophies about the role of government in their community are different, Thomas and Kalil say they see a common goal in their efforts to engage voters.

About six months ago, the two ran into each other while getting coffee at the Harbor Perk coffee shop. A woman approached them and said she was proud of them.

"She told united states of america we reminded her of her son," Kalil says. Thomas notes these kinds of interactions are common. And while some of the county's young people practise leave Ashtabula Canton looking for piece of work elsewhere, Kalil believes, "the folks who do stick around are the ones who are the leaders hither. A lot of young folks are leaving, but the ones who are sticking around are making a big departure."