Some Ohio Republicans who think former President Donald Trump hit it out of the park want to honor him by renaming a state park after him.
State Rep. Mike Loychik, the primary sponsor of House Bill 261, also known as Rename Mosquito Lake State Park to Donald J. Trump State Park, said the bill would celebrate the historic support Trump accrued among residents in the neighborhood surrounding the Cortland, Ohio, park.
“I witnessed the unprecedented and astounding support that President Trump received from my constituents across the 63rd District and Mosquito Lake State Park,” Loychik said of the proposal. “My legislation to Rename Mosquito Lake State Park is meant to honor the commitment and dedication that our 45th president, Donald J. Trump, bestowed upon the great people of Trumbull County.”
OHIO GOP LAWMAKERS PROPOSE ‘PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP DAY’
Loychik originally announced his intent to propose the legislation, co-sponsored by six additional members of the Ohio House, in March, and was met with criticism from Democratic counterparts.
“Ohioans’ are struggling with an addiction crisis, economic disruption, and a pandemic that the other guy said would disappear just like magic,” state Rep. Richard Brown tweeted last month. “Instead of addressing these pressing issues, Ohio House Republicans are spending their time flattering the Insurrectionist in Chief.”
The Ohio GOP has put forward other efforts in the past to honor Trump, who comfortably carried the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. In January, Republican state Reps. Reggie Stoltzfus and Jon Cross proposed naming June 14, the former president’s birthday, “President Donald J. Trump Day.”
“Let’s show the 3,154,834 Ohio voters (a record and historic number of votes received for President in Ohio) who cast their ballot to re-elect Donald J. Trump that we as a legislature recognize the accomplishments of his administration, and that the Ohio House believes it is imperative we set aside a day to celebrate one of the greatest presidents in American history,” the representatives said.
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Once viewed as a battleground, Ohio has been considered a “trending red state” in recent years. With the upcoming retirement of incumbent Sen. Rob Portman, several candidates have entered into a crowded primary to defend the state’s GOP-held Senate seat in 2022. Former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, former Ohio GOP Chairwoman Jane Timken, and businessman Bernie Moreno have announced their candidacies, and others, including Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose and author J.D. Vance, are contemplating entering the race. The primary opponents have aligned themselves closely with Trump, who remains popular among the Ohio GOP base.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Tim Ryan has expressed interest in a potential run, and Rep. Joyce Beatty and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley are also reportedly considering running for the seat.
