This year’s elections transformed more than City Hall—they reshaped Black political power across the entire Dayton metropolitan region. From Turner-Sloss’s historic mayoral win to the community-driven push for a West Dayton hospital, voters signaled change is possible. Yet widening suburban disparities reveal how far the region still must go. DWN breaks down the wins, the warning signs, and what’s at stake next.

At a recent NAACP forum, mayoral and city commission candidates debated leadership, economic development, safety—and most notably, housing. With homelessness and neighborhood stability on the line, housing took center stage in Dayton’s political future.

Columbus, Ohio — Nearly six years after the passage of House Bill 6 (HB 6), the controversial energy bailout legislation tied to the largest public corruption case in Ohio history, taxpayers are still paying the price. The law has cost Ohioans more than half a billion dollars, and questions remain about who was involved and how deeply.