By  Kathy Wray Coleman, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Tel: 216-659-0473. (Kathy Wray Coleman is a 20-year investigative and political journalist and legal reporter who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper, Ohio's Black press)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – As the elections for Ohio governor and other statewide offices for secretary of state , auditor, attorney general, and treasurer  loom the Ohio Democratic Party announced earlier this week that it has hired Meredith Tucker (pictured) as its communications director, a powerful roll previously held by Jared Kurtz, who left to run a state campaign elsewhere

"Today, the Ohio Democratic Party announced changes to its staff as it puts in place a team to elect Ed FitzGerald and Democrats all the way down the ballot who are committed to fighting for middle-class families in Ohio," said Ohio Democratic Party Deputy Communications Director Brian Hester in a press release to Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper. "Democrats across the state are excited to welcome Meredith Tucker back to the state party as communications director for the 2014 cycle and beyond."

FitzGerald is the Democratic candidate for governor and faces incumbent Republican Gov. John Kasich.

Tucker's hiring comes as polls show that Blacks and women will likely determine the election. A recent Quinnipiac poll reveals a 5 point gap with Kasich leading FitzGerald, a Cuyahoga County executive, 43 percent to 38 percent.

Hester said that Tucker has a track record of success, having played a critical role in the Ohio Democratic Party’s historic 2012 victories. Other Democratic party affiliates agreed.

The Dems are "thrilled to have her lead our communications team,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern.

“From her extensive work with all of our statewide candidates, she’s well-prepared to hold Governor Kasich and his friends accountable for their attacks on the middle class," said Redfern.

Tucker worked on the historic Obama for America Campaign in Athens, Ohio in 2008. After the 2008 cycle, she worked for various campaigns, helping elect Democrats at the local and statewide level. She headed to Columbus, the state capital, in 2010 to serve as Representative Debbie Phillips’ legislative aide for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus.

Following her experience in the statehouse, Tucker served as regional communications director for the We Are Ohio campaign, resulting in the overwhelming defeat of Senate bill 5 (Issue 2), a controversial state law that limited collective bargaining that was pushed by Kasich and Republicans that voters repealed in 2011 following a campaign finance by unions across the state.

During the successful 2012 elections, Tucker served as the deputy communications director for the Ohio Democratic Party. Since then, she has worked as communications director at Precision New Media, helping clients, including many of the Democratic party’s 2014 statewide candidates, build and execute strategic communications plans. www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)