The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, formerly known as the Black Elected Democrats of Ohio (BEDO) was founded in 1967 by African-American State Legislators with the goal of addressing the hopes, aspirations, and needs of Ohio’s African-American population.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) announced that it has voted to endorse former House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty in the primary election for Columbus’ new 3^rd Congressional District.  All four democratic candidates were interviewed by the organization, which consists of fifteen African-American State Senators and State Representatives from around Ohio.

“All of the potential candidates are immensely dedicated public servants, with decades of experience between them.”  OLBC President State Representative Sandra Williams said. “Our endorsement of Joyce Beatty was based on her experience, her leadership, and her talent.  We have faith that she will be a great advocate for the 3rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.”

In past cycles, Columbus was split in half between the 12^th and 15^th Congressional Districts.  Every decade, an apportionment board redraws the lines for The Ohio Senate, The Ohio House of Representatives, and United States Congressional seats.  The 2012 election cycles will feature new lines where most of Columbus will be contained within a separate district with its own congressional seat.

State Representative Carlton Weddington of Columbus noted that “We endorsed Joyce because of

her strong leadership and advocacy for the community she will represent in Congress. Washington

needs a strong, charismatic and knowledgeable voice for central Ohio. She was a force in the state

legislature and will take her experience to the U.S. House to promote job creation, protect Social

Security and Medicare, and ensure students have access to affordable education.”

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, formerly known as the Black Elected Democrats of Ohio (BEDO) was founded in 1967 by African-American State Legislators with the goal of addressing the hopes, aspirations, and needs of Ohio’s African-American population.  The group’s current members include legislators from Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Akron.