Kathleen Clyde | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of theOhio Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office June 10, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Liz Walters |
| Member of thePortage County Commission | |
| In office December 2018 – January 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Kerrigan |
| Succeeded by | Tony Badalamenti |
| Member of theOhio House of Representatives from the 75th district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – December 31, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Kathleen Chandler |
| Succeeded by | Randi Clites |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1979-05-18)May 18, 1979 (age 46) Garrettsville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Wesleyan University (BA) Ohio State University (JD) |
Kathleen Clyde (born May 18, 1979) is an American politician who has served as the chair of theOhio Democratic Party since 2025. She is a former member of theOhio House of Representatives who represented the 75th District from 2011 to 2018.
Clyde is originally fromGarrettsville, Ohio. She was the valedictorian of her class atJames A. Garfield High School.[1] After graduation from theMichael E. Moritz College of Law atOhio State University, where she served as an editor of the law review, Clyde served as Speaker of the HouseArmond Budish's deputy legal counsel.[2] She also has worked in the Secretary of State's Office and theOhio Senate. Clyde is a former president of the Public Interest Law Foundation.[3]
When incumbent DemocratKathleen Chandler faced term limits in 2010, Clyde was one of three Democratic challengers who sought to replace Chandler, along with Sean Buchanan and Rick Hawksley.[4] Clyde won the nomination with 56.8% of the electorate.[5] In the general election, Clyde faced three opponents: Republican Roak Zeller, Constitution Party candidate Daniel Cartwright, and Independent Richard Duncan.[6] She defeated all three with 48% of the vote to take the seat.[7]
Clyde was sworn into her first term on January 3, 2011, and is serving on the committees of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Finance and Appropriations and its Higher Education Subcommittee; and State Government and Elections with its Subcommittee on Redistricting.
In 2012, Clyde won reelection with 60.77% of the vote over Republican Nick Skeriotis. She represents the 75th District, which replaced the 68th District.
Clyde launched a bid to serve as the Ohio Secretary of State on May 16, 2017.[8] On November 6, 2018 Clyde was defeated by State Senator Frank LaRose 46.7 to 50.9%.[9]
She faced Ohio State Sen. Frank LaRose in the general election.
During the campaign, Clyde said she would not continue a policy of purging voters from voter rolls if those voters had not voted for six consecutive years.[10] Clyde supported a shift to a uniform paper ballot system in Ohio; LaRose said he favored the current system where there is a requirement for a paper trail for ballots but all counties are allowed to use their own machines.[11] Clyde called for the adoption ofpostal voting to replace early in-person voting; LaRose supported the existing system which is a combination of early in-person voting and postal voting.[11]
In December 2018, Kathleen Clyde was appointed to the Portage County Commission. Resigning from the Ohio House of Representatives, she succeeded Democrat Mike Kerrigan who resigned citing personal reasons.[12] Portage County was represented by much of the 75th Ohio House District, the district Kathleen represented when in the Ohio house of Representatives. Clyde ran for her first full term as County Commissioner in 2020, but was defeated by Republican Tony Badalamenti.
On June 10, 2025, Clyde was elected chair of theOhio Democratic Party.[13]
Clyde was selected as one of seventeen speakers to jointly deliver thekeynote address at the2020 Democratic National Convention.[14]
Clyde has been critical of a plan byOhio Secretary of StateJon Husted to not allow voters as much time to cast absentee ballots. "Voting is already a confusing process," said Rep. Clyde, who was director of the Early Voting Center in Franklin County in 2008. "It discourages voting," she said of Husted's attempt to limit voting processes.[15]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forSecretary of State of Ohio 2018 | Succeeded by Chelsea Clark |
| Preceded by | Keynote Speaker of theDemocratic National Convention 2020 Served alongside:Stacey Abrams,Raumesh Akbari,Colin Allred,Brendan Boyle,Yvanna Cancela,Nikki Fried,Robert Garcia,Malcolm Kenyatta,Marlon Kimpson,Conor Lamb,Mari Manoogian,Victoria Neave,Jonathan Nez,Sam Park,Denny Ruprecht,Randall Woodfin | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theOhio Democratic Party 2025–present | Incumbent |