Lorain County Rural Democrats
We are the Democrats of Rural Lorain County
The Rural Dems meet on the second Monday of each month in locations throughout Lorain County.
The February meeting will be on Monday February 9, 2026 at the Historic Grafton School located at 111 Elm Street in Grafton. Social time at 6:30 pm and the meeting begins at 7:00 pm.
Speakers at the February meeting will be Drs. Valerie Fouts-Fowler and Laura Beene. Drs. Fouts-Fowler and Beene are the leaders of the group, Concerned UH Physicians. They have been spearheading a physician's unionizing effort at the University Hospitals. They will share with us in their many experiences in their fight for patient safety and physician working conditions.
Get Involved !
Attend a Training Session
In response to the increasing promise of ICE/DHS presence in Springfield and Columbus, LCR and OCSI are adding an additional Know Your Rights/Know Your Risks training. Please do everything you can to attend one of these important events; the urgency is ever-growing. These trainings are both for those with experience and those new to this kind of work.
WEDNESDAY, FEB 4th, 7pm, or THU, FEBRUARY 12th, 7pm
Oberlin Public Library community room, 65 S. Main Street in Oberlin.
The best thing we can do is to be prepared. If you are unable to attend either of the above trainings, please join an online training like this one. Also, here is some information shared from the Ohio Immigrant Alliance on ways you can help right now.
Attend a Protest
NOTE: For the winter months Stand Up Lorain County Protests have moved to to a twice monthly schedule.
Stand Up Lorain County is protesting in AVON on Saturday February 7th from 10:30 am - noon.
Stand Up Lorain County is protesting in AMHERST on Saturday February 21st from 10:30 am - noon.
Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S.
The Lorain County Civic Engagement Coalition invites you to attend the Spirit of '76 Speakers Series as part of Lorain County Ohio’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
The first speaker is John Kasich, Former Ohio Governor and Author of : Two Paths:America United or Divided Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 6:00 pm at the Stocker Arts Center
Each event is free to attend, however you will need to register attendance.
RSVP Here: www.LorainCounty.com/e/spiritof76
Meet the Candidates
Meet Allison Russo, Primary Candidate for Ohio Democratic Secretary of State on Thursday February 5 at the First Church in Oberlin.
The Lorain County Rural Democrats, Lorain County Rising and Oberlin Democrats are sponsoring this event. Allison Russo was first elected as representative of Ohio District 7 in 2016. She has also served as the House Minority Leader since January of 2022, Now she is running for Secretary of State.
Read more about Allison Russo HERE
LCRD Member, Brenda Buchanan, is a candidate in the race for Representative in Ohio House District 54. Meet with Brenda on February 22nd at the Bulldog Pub & Grille in LaGrange.
This is an opportunity to share the Ohio issues that are important to you and for Brenda to represent in her campaign.
Meet Voters in the Rural Community
You don't have to be a farmer or a member to attend the Ohio Farmer’s Union 92nd State Convention!
Anyone with rural interest is welcome!
To get details and register for the convention, go to Eventbrite HERE.
The 12th Annual Brunch with a Farmer will be happening on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Lorain County Community College. Different location this year we will be at the College Commons (CC 105). Looking for Love and Local Foods? We can help with one of those!
Limited Tickets Available and PREPAY ONLY by February 3rd, $15 | Farm Bureau members $25 | Non members Contact Lorain County Farm Bureau at lorain@ofbf.org or 440-877-0706
The first Rural Caucus Quarterly Meeting was held Thursday, January 29th, at 7:00 PM.
The Rural Dems were well represented with six of our members in attendance. Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaachson led the meeting off with a strategic look ahead to 2026. He noted that, despite gerrymandered maps, it is realistic to expect wins in November that increase Democratic House membership from 32 to 40 seats, which would break the current Republican supermajority. As of the meeting, Democratic candidates have been recruited forall but 2 open seats..
Additionally, Rural Caucus Chair Chris Gibbs presented findings from his recent listening tour across rural counties. He identified common ground on issues like schools, the economy, and taxes. While the full report is still being finalized, it will be selectively shared once complete. This was a very encouraging look into 2026; stay tuned for more information from the Rural Caucus as the year progresses.