Matt Lundy wins District 53 Democratic primary, continues comeback attempt

Matt Lundy will continue his quest to return to the Ohio House of Representatives after he took nearly 75 percent of the vote to defeat former Lorain City Councilman Dan Nutt in the Democratic primary for state representative of Ohio's 53rd District Tuesday. According to unofficial results from the Lorain County Board of Elections, Lundy defeated Nutt by a margin of 7,483 votes to 2,577 or 74.38 percent to 25.62 percent. In November, Lundy will face off against Republican Bradley Lacko, of Amherst, to replace outgoing state Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst. Miller did not seek reelection due to term limits, instead running unopposed on Tuesday in a Democratic primary for state Senate. Lundy said that he believed his messaging about affordability and lack of leadership in Columbus resonated with voters and helped carry him to victory. "I believe strongly that Columbus has turned its back on Lorain Countians, and I believe strongly that Lorain Countians are paying more in property taxes because Columbus is not properly funding our schools and local governments," he said. "Our children and the safety of our communities shouldn't be jeopardized because of that, and I plan to make that a major focus of mine when I serve in Columbus." An Avon Lake resident, Lundy has previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2007 to 2014, and he was then a Lorain county commissioner from 2015 to 2022. "You never know what is going to happen when you attempt to come back," Lundy said. "But, I always tried to be the voice of reason, to be fair and transparent with the taxpayers and I believe that record came through. This is just the first leg of the race, we still have another leg to run, but I am certainly pleased that the voters were willing to give me an opportunity to return to office and serve them. I really love public service, so I am looking forward to returning to Columbus and holding folks accountable." Like Lundy, Nutt spoke at length during his campaign about affordability issues and their impact on residents, and he wished Lundy luck in working on that issue and others facing the district. "Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign and believed in our vision for the future. I'm proud of the conversations we had around affordability, accountability and working families," Nutt, of Lorain, said in a statement on Tuesday evening. "I congratulate my opponent and wish him success in serving our district. I also want to thank the voters of Lorain for supporting the school and firefighter levies and continuing to invest in our community. I hope we continue moving forward with legislation that properly funds public schools, supports campaign finance reform and protects communities through policies such as data center moratoriums." Ohio House District 53 includes the cities of Lorain, Amherst, Avon Lake, Sheffield, Sheffield Lake and a portion of Sheffield Township. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.