Students affiliated with Kent State University’s chapter of the Ohio Student Association are organizing a door-to-door campaign aimed at discouraging support for Republican state Rep. Heidi Workman, according to the outlet. The group has tied its effort to Workman’s vote for Senate Bill 1, a 2025 law that changed operations at Ohio public colleges and universities, including by ending diversity, equity and inclusion work and adding institutional rules.
Republican lawmakers described the measure as a response to what they viewed as a too-liberal campus culture. Workman said in a March 2025 press release that she was proud to support it, the outlet reported; her campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Organizer Nica Delgado, a 2025 Kent State alum and digital organizer with the left-leaning group, said opposition to Senate Bill 1 drives the campaign. The bulk of the work is scheduled for Oct. 23, when participants plan to knock on doors at 24 residence halls housing nearly 6,000 students, plus nearby off-campus apartments. The chapter has about 20 to 30 members and hopes to bring at least 100 students from other Ohio chapters; visiting participants must be paired with a Kent State student who lives in the dorm, Delgado said.
Canvassers intend to speak with registered voters who feel apathetic and with those who are undecided. They plan to highlight Workman’s connection to the law and argue that it harmed Kent State, citing the closure of campus centers for multicultural, female and LGBTQ+ students. University officials said those closures were made to comply with the law, according to the outlet. The students also support Workman’s Democratic opponent, Kent City Council President Jeff Clapper; Libertarian Michael Fricke is also running.
Workman won the seat in 2024 with nearly 60% of the vote after a contentious primary, succeeding Republican Gail Pavliga. The district, which covers much of Portage County and the Kent campus, has leaned right recently. Delgado predicted Clapper would win in a landslide and said the seat is fully within reach, while the outlet noted the group may face an uphill climb.