Democratic state Senate candidate says she's still running

SANDUSKY — After announcing that she was dropping her race for the state Senate, Democratic candidate Paloma De La Fuente said she was still running after all. De La Fuente is running for the Ohio Senate District 2 seat controlled by incumbent state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green. Gavarone is seeking a new four-year term. Her Ohio Senate District 2 includes Ottawa and Wood counties and parts of Erie, Huron and Lucas counties, including the city of Sandusky. De La Fuente posted on social media on Aug. 6 that she would be leaving the race. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am withdrawing from my race for the 2nd District of the Ohio State Senate," she wrote. "At this time, I need to prioritize the health of my family. I am grateful for and appreciate all of the support, contributions and endorsements I have received. Please respect my privacy for myself and the family for the foreseeable future." But De La Fuente told the Register in a text message Tuesday that she's not dropping out after all. "I am reorganizing my campaign right now," she said. "I will be in contact in the next 24 hours with an official statement." The director of Wood County's election board, Terry Burton, told the Register that De La Fuente never filed a statement at the office officially withdrawing from the race. If De La Fuente formally pulled out of the race, then there would be time to leave her name off the November ballot, said Alex Jones, director of the Erie County elections board. If she merely suspended her campaign, her name would still show up on the ballot, he said. On Tuesday, the Register verified that De La Fuente had posted her withdrawal on X.com. The post disappeared after the Register contacted her for comment. There were no posts Tuesday afternoon at her campaign site on Facebook and her campaign website, palomaforohio.com, appeared to be down. Tuesday's developments were the latest twist in what has been an unusual campaign. De La Fuente, 19, who lives in the Toledo area, was 18 when she filed to run against Gavarone. After she had problems with her nominating petition, she withdrew her candidacy filing and launched a write-in campaign during the Democratic primary and succeeded in securing the nomination. Before she'd announced — then rescinded — her decision to drop out, De La Fuente had been appearing at Democratic Party events in the district. On Aug. 3, for example, the Ottawa County Democratic Party posted photos of De La Fuente and other candidates during an event at Johnson's Island.