Kevin DeWine

Chairman, Ohio Republican Party

On January 16, 2009, the 66-member Republican State Central & Executive Committee of Ohio unanimously elected Kevin DeWine to serve as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, one of the largest state party organizations in the nation.

As the party’s chief executive officer, DeWine is responsible for the management of all party operations and services, including candidate recruitment, campaign support, training, fundraising, voter contact programs, communications, technology resources and legal strategies.

After his election as chairman, he introduced a 10-point strategy, called the Leading Ohio Plan, designed to center the Ohio Republican Party’s political resurgence on a set of fundamental goals.  The plan calls for restoring the party’s conservative credibility, developing a broad policy agenda, building beyond the party’s traditional base, re-engaging the middle class, connecting on campuses, developing advanced voter contact programs, using new technology to improve communications, creating a comprehensive political education program, improving candidate recruitment and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct.  DeWine restructured the party’s internal operation to ensure that each staff position has a specific role in implementing these objectives.

As chairman, DeWine travels extensively on behalf of the party, meeting with voters, donors, candidates, elected officials and volunteers.  He frequently hosts townhall-style meetings as part of a “Party to the People” outreach effort, designed to engage Ohioans in a discussion about the Republican Party and its ideas.

In addition to his role as chairman, DeWine is a member of the Republican National Committee, where he sits on the party’s ethics and site selection committees.  He previously served four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, rising to the chamber’s second-highest position as Speaker Pro Tempore.  His legislative accomplishments include extensive efforts to improve voter confidence in Ohio's elections process, including major reforms to state voting and campaign finance laws.  He holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Dayton and an MBA from Wright State University. He and his wife, Kelle, reside in Fairborn with their four sons.

Kay Ayres

Vice Chairman, Ohio Republican Party

Kay Ayres was elected Vice Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party in May of 2003, succeeding longtime vice chair Martha Moore who retired after 52 years of service to the party.

As Vice Chairman, Ayres is responsible for supporting the duties of the Chairman in addition to overseeing various party-building activities and outreach efforts, especially among women voters. Ayres serves on the board of directors for the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, an organization founded to support and train women in pursuit of public service. She also served as president of the Ohio Federation of Republican Women and as a vice chair for the National Federation of Republican Women.

Ayres has worked for more than 30 years on the frontlines of grassroots Ohio politics, serving as chairman of the Highland County Republican Party since 1978. She has assisted hundreds of candidates and campaigns over the years from the courthouse to the White House.

Ayres is also active in her community, where she has served on multiple boards including 4-H, Southern State Community College, Leadership Highland, and the Highland County Farm Bureau. She is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and lives with her husband, David Ayres, M.D., in Hillsboro. They have two grown children.