RAVENNA, Ohio — Voters in Portage County, Ohio, are worried about putting up political signs in their yards thanks to the county sheriff’s Facebook post that many are deeming intimidating and racist.
“Why would I want to put something in my yard to be targeted for,” Ravenna resident David Lendvay told me Monday.
Lendvay said he won’t be putting up his Kamala Harris for president sign anymore — neither is Sheila Longmire.
“He’s on Facebook saying that he wants to know the address of everybody that’s supporting her,” Longmire said.
They both say that their county sheriff is trying to intimidate them.
Late on Sept. 13, Zuchowski posted on both his personal and professional Facebook pages.
I say…write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards!” he wrote.
“I should be able to vote for who I want to vote for without my safety being violated,” he said.
Zuchowski, a Republican running for reelection, continued his viral post with “Sooo…when the Illegal human “Locust” (which she supports!)
Badalementi, Longmire and Lendvay are now going to vote for the Democrat running against Zuchowski — former Stark County Sgt.
RAVENNA, Ohio—After the county sheriff posted a Facebook post that many people interpret as intimidating and racist, voters in Portage County, Ohio, are concerned about hanging political signs in their yards. In order to welcome immigrants, or as he put it, “human locusts,” the law enforcement official advised the public to write down the addresses of Kamala Harris supporters. “.
Many citizens in Northeast Ohio, a region that shifted from supporting former President Barack Obama to former President Donald Trump, are worried about a social media post made by Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski approximately 50 days before the presidential election.
David Lendvay, a resident of Ravenna, told me on Monday, “Why would I want to put something in my yard to be targeted for?”.
Lendvay announced that neither he nor Sheila Longmire will be displaying their Kamala Harris for President signs going forward.
Longmire stated, “He’s on Facebook saying that he wants to know the address of everybody that’s supporting her.”. “That’s absurd. “.
Both of them claim that the county sheriff is attempting to scare them.
Late September. 13. Zuchowski shared updates on his personal and business Facebook pages.
“Whenever someone queries me. I say, “What will happen if the Flip-Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins?”. “Please jot down the addresses of every individual who displayed her signs in their yards!” the man wrote.
Lendvay finds this upsetting.
“My right to vote for the candidates I choose should not be compromised,” he declared.
The Republican candidate for reelection, Zuchowski, continued his widely shared post with “Sooo.”. when the “Locust” of illegal humans, whom she supports, need somewhere to live. We will already be in possession of their new families’ addresses. who cheered their arrival with!”.
Longmire is a Black woman, and she finds this language terrifying.
“Does speaking with you guys mean I have to be afraid for my life?” she asked my photojournalist and I. I’m a different color, so it’s absurd. “. .
Both the sheriff’s office and Zuchowski have not responded to our messages. Amanda Suffecool, Chair of the County GOP, joined us for a conversation to explain his viewpoint.
This puts it front and center, Suffecool said. “If he had just been boring, no one would be talking about this.”. “Are illegal immigrants breaking the law? Do the residents of the county and the state care about this? They certainly do. “.
She used the Springfield, Ohio, situation as an illustration of how to attract attention. Since Trump, JD Vance, and right-wing activists spread false information claiming that Haitian immigrants in the town are eating cats and dogs, the city has been in a state of chaos.
“It’s not a problem, it’s a nonissue,” the news seems to be saying,” she continued. “Many people are asking how they knew to fact-check it before it was brought up,” she said.
CNN questioned Vance on his knowledge of the untruths surrounding the allegations that immigrants from Haiti were consuming pets.
Vance clarified that he was “creating the American media focusing on it” after saying, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”. “.”.
She supported the rhetoric of JD Vance, according to which drawing attention to a cause through an extreme post can be beneficial.
“Anything that goes out into the light of day and gets talked about is good for us,” the GOP chair said. “Our politics will benefit from it. Discussing issues and figuring out where each person stands is beneficial for our citizens. ****.
Gov. The mayor of Springfield and Mike DeWine have persisted in emphasizing that the Haitians are lawfully present in the area. Bomb threats, unjustified national attention, and false accusations have all been directed towards the city in spite of this.
I specifically asked Suffecool about the comments he made about immigrants and the vice president, which many of our viewers felt were offensive.
There is no racist statement in what he said, she said, calling her a laughing hyena. In politics, parodies have always existed. ****.
Ravenna locals told us that’s racist in and of itself.
Nevertheless, Suffecool claimed that this was merely a conversation-starting tactic and wasn’t intended to scare voters.
She went on, “Is this something you should be afraid of? No.”. “He gained some attention by exercising artistic license. “.”.
Both local officials on the left and right are incensed about this and Suffecool’s reaction.
Republican county commissioner Tony Badalamenti says there’s nothing the commissioners can do about Zuchowski’s incitement of fear in the county.
Badalamenti declared, “We have no authority.”. Every other elected official is subordinate to no commissioner. “.”.
When a sheriff breaks the law or needs to be “held accountable,” Attorney General Dave Yost is the only one who can change things, he said. We tried contacting the AG’s office, but we never heard back.
Badalamenti, though, informed us that he was making a personal choice. He was employed with Zuchowski at the GOP Central Committee, but he has since resigned from that post.
He said, “It’s very disturbing when somebody says something that was just said on Facebook for everybody to be proud to see.”. “I just decided to walk away because this is the final straw. ****.
Now, Badalementi, Longmire, and Lendvay will cast their votes for the Democrat challenging Zuchowski, a former Stark County Sergeant. Jon Barber.
Barber and I met outside his Kent, Ohio, house. He was holding up a sign for Harris/Walz in addition to his own. From his house hung the Blue Flag with His Back facing forward.
“I just really think that as elected officials, our job is to bring that temperature down,” Barber remarked. “The politics climate right now, both on a national and local level, is pretty hot.”. Essentially, it’s about letting people know that while they have the right to their opinions, they should be expressed politely and without threat. ‘.
Additionally, Lendvay stated that it ought to be carried out in a manner that respects their privacy.
The resident went on, “The primary concern should be the safety of the people living in this county, not openly criticizing them for their political choices.”.