OH-01: 'Kate Schroder is a nightmare for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy'
Kate Schroder is a nightmare for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): She's a 43-year-old political newcomer who has a real chance to knock off an entrenched Republican congressman in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Schroder is one of the stars of a surprisingly strong collection of Democratic challengers in Republican-held seats. Republican hopes of recapturing control of the House are fading fast.
Schroder began to run last year for the seat held by 12-term, 67-year-old incumbent, Steve Chabot, in a Republican gerrymandered district. A public health expert and cancer survivor, she focused on expanding health care coverage and keeping Obamacare protections for people with pre-existing conditions, which the Trump administration and her opponent have opposed.
The pandemic has elevated her profile and passion: “I don't have to explain the importance of public health,” she told me.
In Cincinnati, Schroder is outraising incumbent Chabot, who faced a serious challenge two years ago until a largely bogus issue was raised against the Democrat. This time the ethics issue may be working against Chabot, whose former campaign chairman is under FBI investigation for fraud; there are missing campaign funds. The polls show a toss-up.
Schroder, a member of the Cincinnati board of health, is a good fit in a district that leans Republican but is trending moderate.
It's a hard sell to paint her as a left winger. If elected, she wants to join the bi-partisan “problem solvers” caucus to work across the aisle on issues like infrastructure, gun safety — “you can be for gun ownership as well as gun safety” — as well as expanding the Affordable Health Care Act and investing more in public health.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/517717-kate-schroder-in-ohio-among-democratic-challengers-squelching-gop-hopes-for