“Every year is important,” Rhynard said. “We have to prepare people who are going to be running for county seats, for city seats.”
Elections for the chair will be conducted at the first Montgomery County Democratic Party meeting following the primary in May. The role of chairperson, who is tasked with leading the organization of the political party on a county level, is a four-year term.
Rhynard said if elected to the top seat of the Montgomery County Democratic Party, her vision would be to recruit and train candidates and staff across the county while supporting a platform of ideas that benefit communities.
To Rhynard, this includes issues like lowering the cost of child care, expanding access to health care and making sure homes in Montgomery County are affordable.
Rhynard has served on the Dayton School Board of Education since 2017. In 2024, she ran or the Ohio Senate’s sixth district — a race won by current state Sen. Willis Blackshear Jr., D-Dayton.
“I’ve been involved with this party for almost a decade,” she told this news outlet. “I have canvassed. I have run for office. I’ve worked on campaigns. I’ve supported candidates. I know what it takes for us to win.”
She thanked outgoing chair Mohamed Al-Hamdani for his work and support for her run.
Al-Hamdani was elected as party chairperson in 2022. He is an immigration attorney, a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Elections and previously a president of the Dayton Public School Board of Education.
As of Rhynard’s Friday announcement, no other candidates have announced their intent to run for party chair.
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