Ted Strickland, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio running against Sen. Rob Portman, visited the Fayette County Democratic Headquarters Saturday.
Strickland’s visit came just 58 days before Election Day 2016.
“I think this is the most consequential election in my lifetime,” said Strickland before the crowd who gathered to hear him talk in Washington CH. “We have never had a presidential candidate like Donald Trump.”
He said Americans will be making a decision in the election that will be affecting our country for decades.
One, for president. Two, for the Ohio Senate seat.
Growing out of those two elections, said Strickland, will be the next Supreme Court nomination.
Currently no appointment has been made to fill the seat left by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died Feb. 13 at the age of 79.
Strickland said the Supreme Court is powerful, citing the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, which he said meant, “If you have a whole lot of money, you have more speech.”
Citizens United, decided in 2010, allows corporations to use their money for political reasons, including televised electioneering communication.
“I’ve had $45 million spent against me in this race,” said Strickland. “They have spent more money against me than they have Hillary Clinton.”
Strickland said most of the money spent against him in the race has came from contributions made to Sen. Portman from the Koch brothers, whom Strickland said are the fifth and sixth richest people on earth.
He said he believes they are pouring money into this state because of the Supreme Court decision in Citizen United.
“It’s going to make it so that the average person is overwhelmed by a handful of people,” said Strickland.
He said he will represent working-class Ohioans if elected.
