Cuyahoga County Dems need a message that resonates, says chair

The big picture: Increased participation in Northeast Ohio, the state's Democratic stronghold, would not have turned the tide in the presidential race, which Donald Trump won in Ohio by 11 points.

• But it may have affected the outcomes in the U.S. Senate race and Issue 1.
• Every county carried by Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown saw a decrease in turnout since 2020, an Axios review of election data found.

What they're saying: Ohio Democratic Party chair Elizabeth Walters said in a statement that Tuesday's results were disappointing but that Dems were "up against hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate special interests who were hell bent on buying their elected officials."

Zoom in: Cuyahoga County Democratic Party chair Dave Brock tells Axios a combination of factors, including fraudulent national narratives about election security and the lack of visits by candidates at the top of ticket, may have contributed to the lackluster showing locally.

What's next: "We clearly need to find a message that resonates with voters — economics, justice, freedom," Brock says.

• "Democrats have done the most for people economically, at a national level, and we need to do a better job communicating that."