The number of Somalis who have become citizens and are registered to vote in this area might be small - perhaps 11,000, maybe less - but candidates are reaching out to the growing voting bloc.
On Friday, Democrats including Ohio auditor hopeful David Pepper and local judicial candidates visited a candidates' forum for the Somali community.
A similar forum was held on Saturday for Republicans, including Rep. Pat Tiberi and congressional candidate Steve Stivers.
In 2008, Somalis overwhelmingly favored Barack Obama, said Hassan Omar, who leads the Somali Community Association of Ohio.
But they haven't seen their vote pay off for them, he said. Persistent unemployment, rising dropouts among Somali students and a declining level of social services and job training continue to harm the community, Omar said.
Franklin County has eliminated funding for the Somali Community Association of Ohio for after-school and English programs; two years ago, it received $146,059.
Budget cuts played a role, according to the county commissioners' office. But other providers also scored better than the Somali association for contracts, and Omar's group submitted a proposal too late, county officials said.
"This cycle, we're not beholden to any party," said Abdikarim Ali Omar, board chairman of the Somali Community Association of Ohio, before the forums.
"We want someone doing something for the Somali community."
After the forums, Abdikarim Ali Omar said the Democrats seemed receptive to the community's concerns.
"I hope it will materialize into action," he said.
He said 4,000 to 6,000 voters can decide elections. Two years ago, Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus, defeated Stivers by 2,311 votes. They're facing off again this year.
About 100 people attended each of the forums.
Some of the issues have festered for a while. Somali leaders said youths need more after-school programs. Also, leaders said it is still too difficult to wire money home to needy family members.
Mussa Farah, another local Somali leader, said officeholders aren't the problem.
"We have 10 different (Somali) groups, 10 different offices," said Farah, who is on Mayor Michael B. Coleman's Community Relations Commission. "We must have a united proposal to (give to) elected officials."
Kilroy spokesman Brad Bauman said her campaign isn't taking the Somali vote for granted. She is scheduled to attend a Somali forum this week, he said.
"They're an integral part of our family in central Ohio," he said.
Stivers is committed to fighting for every vote, said his spokesman, John Damschroder.
"The issue of assimilation of the Somali community is something he believes in. Voting is an act of assimilation," Damschroder said.
Estimates of the area's Somali population have ranged from 15,000 to 80,000. Hassan Omar's group pegs it at 45,000.
Abdikarim Ali Omar said the government can't be expected to do everything.
"We know the economy is bad," he said. "But it affects us disproportionately."
mferenchik@dispatch.com
Source: Columbus Dispatch
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