COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's new House minority leader, Dani Isaacsohn, says teaming up with the Republicans is essential to getting Democratic priorities accomplished.
Democrats are hopeful that new leadership can score them some wins as they prepare to head back to the Statehouse soon.
"Our focus as a caucus every single day is going to be 'How do we serve the people of Ohio by making their lives better, making it more affordable, easier to access opportunity, more stability, more safety in their communities and their neighborhoods?'" Isaacsohn said.
The 36-year-old Cincinnati lawyer is the new face of the House Democrats, being voted to replace former Minority Leader Allison Russo, who stepped down in June to prepare for her secretary of state campaign.
Along with Isaacsohn, state Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) is the assistant leader, state Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) is the whip, and state Rep. Desiree Tims (D-Dayton) is the assistant whip.
Isaacsohn has risen to the top of the party since joining the legislature in 2023. He had been the whip since 2024 and was the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
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Isaacsohn is known for bipartisanship, a strength he says will help Democrats stay relevant in the GOP-controlled supermajority.
"Nothing gets done without working together across the aisle," the leader said.
While in the legislature, his focus has been on affordable housing. He helped make changes that provided relief to homeowners, earning him praise from leaders across the aisle.
"Dani Isaacsohn... very passionate about bridging the gap on Ohio’s housing challenges," state Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) said.
Former lawmaker and current chair of the state's property tax reform working group, Bill Seitz, emphasized the Democrat's ability to find answers on property tax rates.
"There is a solution which Senator Blessing, Representative Isaacson have come up with," Seitz said, adding that their proposal of a circuit breaker is the "best solution."
Despite Isaacsohn’s positive relationship with the GOP, he will face challenges. Republicans do not need any Democratic votes in order to pass legislation.
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"We would like to have 99 votes and that's, that's just typically is not possible," House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said regarding the state's operating budget.
The most impactful vote each General Assembly makes is the state’s massive two-year budget, one that, this year, didn’t get a single Democratic vote. Isaacsohn said he will work to help get the minority party into the decision-making room.
"We're really focused on delivering results for the people we serve, and to do that, we have to work across the aisle," Isaacsohn said.
The leader stayed in touch with Huffman over the summer break, he said, talking about topics like redistricting and the legislative calendar. The lawmakers are set to come back the week of September
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