Former Republican to be keynote speaker at Richland County Democratic Party kickoff event

The Richland County Democratic Party will host a kick-off event in Richland County to highlight keynote speaker Chris Gibbs.

Gibbs, the Shelby County Ohio Democratic Party chairman, has been featured on CNN nationally as well as in numerous media and news articles around the state and country.

This multi-county event will take place 6-8 p.m. Aug. 27 at the United Steelworker’s Hall Local 169, 376 W.Longview Ave. in Mansfield. Dinner will be served. There is no cost to attend, but donations will be accepted to help defray the cost.

Gibbs is a first-generation farmer and rancher in west central Ohio. He is retired from the USDA after 30 yearsof administering federal ag policy to farmers. Gibbs spent 20 years in local Republican Party administration including terms as party chair and chair for the Shelby County Board of Elections through 2019.

In 2019 Gibbs left the Republican Party because he believed the GOP no longer represented his values. In 2023, hebecame chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party and is focused on rebuilding the Democratic brand inrural Ohio counties. Gibbs, 64, resides in Maplewood in Shelby County. He owns and operates 560 acres andraises corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay. He and his son manage a 90-head cow/calf operation. They custom graze using a managed intensive grazing system on 135 acres of improved pasture.

Gibbs is currently president of the board of trustees for the Gateway Arts Council serving Shelby County. He and his wife Deborah have two grown children, Tiffany and Jason, and two grandsons.

For more information, contact our Chairman Larry Weirich at larry.weirich@aol.com or event organizer and Vice Chairwoman Venita Shoulders at venitashoulders@gmail.com . Democrats or nonpartisan voters of goodwill are welcome to attend by contacting Shoulders by email or by text at 419-564-0486 to reserve a seat.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Former Republican to be keynote speaker at Richland County Democratic Party kickoff event