This afternoon, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune announced that he will not be seeking reelection in 2020 as his cancer has tragically returned.

Todd Portune is the epitome of good government in action. Greater Cincinnati is a far better place to live and work because Todd Portune has worked to make it so. 

From leading enormous projects like The Banks development to helping individual homeowners with a flooded basement, Todd has worked tirelessly on every problem and opportunity he has faced as a Hamilton County commissioner and Cincinnati city council member.

Just as importantly, Todd treats friends and opponents alike with dignity and respect, relishing the chance to talk an opponent into seeing things his way. 

And there is no better role model for perseverance than Todd, who battled through serious health issues for decades with grace and stoicism.  

Todd has stayed true to his values as a Democrat while working across party lines to get things done. He has earned the respect of people across the spectrum — the business community, educators, people of color and especially advocates for the disabled. 

We are so grateful for his continuing service, and we pray for healing and strength. Thank you, Commissioner.

This is a backroom deal that would limit the number of African-American officials, extend the influence of big business, and crowd out grass-roots candidates.

The plan and proposed map were cooked up behind closed doors with no community input. The public needs to be part of any plan that vastly reshapes how we elect our city representatives.

Second, our current system has worked well to elect a council that is representative of who we are. Implementation of this proposed plan would make it harder for candidates of color to win more than two seats.

Finally, and most critically, this new plan calls for head-to-head races for each seat. This new scheme would allow money to have an oversized role in electing members to council while inviting in increased negative campaigning and messaging. These are both things that we, as Democrats, should be working against. 

The Democratic Party has not been approached by the organizers of this proposal for endorsement consideration, but on its face it seems to be contrary to our Party values. We urge Cincinnati voters to not sign the circulating petitions as we believe this newly proposed plan is not good for the City of Cincinnati and its voters.