MEDINA, Ohio – Former Ohio Republican congressman and current Chairman of American Greatness PAC Jim Renacci held his first in a series of pro-MAGA (Make America Great Again) forums at the Thirsty Cowboy in Medina, Ohio.
“Last night, 11 conservatives from different niches talked about uniting the conservative base and forwarding MAGA policies. I think it’s the start of something great. American Greatness can be achieved,” Renacci posted on Facebook following the Thursday meeting.
The first hour of the event was a panel exchange. The panelists were given four umbrella talking points to discuss but did not know what type of questions they would receive during the panel. The talking points provided were: Finding a path to unity, election reform, formulating MAGA policy; what’s the priority, the mission or the man? And the process of choosing good conservative candidates.
“We want to talk about issues that concern Ohioans,” said Renacci to The Ohio Star. “It’s an open forum for people to learn, become engaged and involved in the political process.”
Renacci, moderated the forum and the panel included State Representatives Scott Wiggam (R-Wooster) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), Bob Frantz from WHK Radio, Republican State Central Committeeman Shannon Burns, Jack Windsor of the Ohio Press Network, former U.S. Senate candidate Mike Gibbons, Chris Dorr Executive Director of Ohio Gun Owners, Research Fellow Greg Lawson with the Buckeye Institute, Jon Morrow of the Committee for a Better Ohio, Diana Stover, Program Director for Protect Ohio Children and Pastor J.C. Church of the Ohio Christian Alliance.
“It was all centered on how we can unite,” said American Greatness PAC Director Tom Weyand. “We can’t have a burn it down culture, we need to unite groups and find common ground.”
The meeting held a large cross-section of panelists but also a large cross section of spectators in a conservative base across Ohio.
The last 30 minutes was saved for spectator comments. According to Weyand, he has been to many conservative events and it is typically pretty one track minded. However, he thinks that the audience got a lot out of the first hour of discussion. He expressed that the spectators were vocal but thoughtful in their inquiries.
“The meeting was well attended,” relayed Weyand. “We had a pretty much packed house and it was high energy.”
According to Weyand, they plan to hold up to four more forums across the state starting in Central Ohio, Toledo and Cincinnati. The next forum will be held on the 3rd week of October in Central Ohio. The date and location of the event are not being disclosed at this time. Individuals can stay updated on the upcoming forums at https://americangreatnesspac.com/.
“We want to make a difference in statewide elections,” stated Weyand.
Overall, the PAC was very happy with the event. They plan to keep the same format going forwards but with some different panelists and topics.
“The event was a great start,” stated Pastor J.C. Church of the Ohio Christian Alliance. “It’s an overdue and well needed conversation of how we can unify our efforts.”
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
