Chillicothe & Ohio — One spinoff from the Trump rally was a dispute between Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney and U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, after Feeney criticized U.S. Senator Jon Husted in a news conference on the afternoon of the Chillicothe Trump Rally.
Feeney was part of a Democratic party rally in the courtyard of the Ross County Law Enforcement Center on October 28th, 2026.
Husted does not appear to have entered into the dialog – which led to Moreno responding to Feeney, and then Feeney claiming Moreno mischaracterized him.
I could find only two videos of the Democratic rally, each with only short clips: in Chillicothe Gazette stories, and as a YouTube Short from WBNS 10TV out of Columbus. Neither include Feeney’s criticism of Husted about the paper mill.
In a prepared speech, Feeney says in the videos that he is proud to serve as the mayor of a hard-working, resilient people who want good jobs, affordable groceries, and be able to pay their bills and feed their families.
In the Gazette video, Feeney says: “The problem isn’t that Ohioans have forgotten how to work, the problem is that Washington has forgotten who they work for.”
He linked high gas prices to the war in Iran, and pointed out that Husted voted 14 times to continue the war.
In closing, he said Chillicothe is not just a backdrop for a political rally – it is a community with real challenges and opportunities, and it deserve real leadership…which is why he supports Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton.
On his official senate page, Bernie Moreno posted a response to Feeney on October 31st:
Dear Mayor Feeney, Public service is a calling, and it sometimes requires sacrifice. Over the past year, I have seen firsthand the havoc the closure of the historic Mead Paper Mill has wreaked. I used every tool at my disposal to make sure the hardworking people of Chillicothe were not left high and dry by a Wall Street private equity firm, even dedicating one of my staff members to live in Chillicothe full-time. That’s why I was so disappointed to hear you simply brush off all that hard work for a cheap political attack on Senator Husted one week before an election. Senator Husted and I have made it a top priority to secure a future for Chillicothe’s workers. The day the closure was announced, I was immediately on the phone with H.I.G. Capital, demanding answers and accountability. My team and I have worked every day to repair the damage caused to the community, even securing an additional 60 days of full wages and benefits for every mill employee. We identified and recruited a buyer that has already restored 210 jobs in less than 12 months at wages equal to or greater than those workers earned before. We even obtained a $5.5 million commitment from the prior owner for former employees, of which $1 million has already been distributed directly into workers’ pockets. But none of that seems to matter to you. In your baseless attacks, you made false statement after false statement, even claiming that only one in ten jobs has been restored. This is all especially ironic given you have not once reached out to me as we have worked tirelessly on behalf of Chillicothe’s workers. Just last week, I spent hours at the mill, speaking to workers, reviewing the progress we’ve made, and was even lucky enough to see The Chief back in action. One thing I did not see at the mill that day was you. I was proud to recognize some of those workers Wednesday night, men and women already back on the job. Paper production is set to resume by the end of the year, alongside other manufacturing that will give the complex a resilient future. I will not rest until the site employs more than the 862 jobs lost last year. I will not stand by and watch the American heartland be hollowed out by private equity, hedge funds, and liberal elites. We have a duty to the American people to prevent that and to secure our nation’s supply chains. Thanks to the hundreds of hours of effort from my office raising this issue at all levels of government, we’ve turned the tide to ensure that nitrile gloves can be produced domestically. I’ve also advanced legislation, The American Glove Act of 2026, to require federal agencies to source nitrile gloves exclusively from American manufacturers like the ones we represent in Chillicothe. Meanwhile, you have been nowhere to be found, failing even to respond to questions or correspondence regarding building and zoning process and standards for more than 200 market-rate apartments on property that would represent the first new housing development downtown in decades. Numerous building and zoning inquiries surrounding industrial expansion have also gone unanswered. Your administration has failed to answer calls, attend in-person visits, and ignored countless questions from business leaders trying to invest in the community. That is not acceptable. Chillicothe is a proud community of hardworking and honest people. The residents of Paper City are the backbone of the Ohio economy that has made our state great for generations. If you want to be a productive partner in bringing jobs and economic growth to Chillicothe, I welcome you as a partner. What I will not accept is cheap political stunts and petty attacks. Our constituents deserve better. Do the work we were elected to do or get out of the way. I could have done nothing in April 2025. Sherrod Brown certainly mastered that approach. But I chose to act and I hope you’ll join me. Sincerely, Bernie Moreno United States Senator
On the afternoon of November 2nd, Feeney responded to Moreno’s letter, as posted on his Facebook page:
Over the weekend, I received an emailed letter from Senator Bernie Moreno. Following inquiries from several media outlets, I am sharing my response publicly to provide clarity and address the issues raised in the Senator’s letter. I've dedicated much of my life to public service, and I'm proud of the record I've built serving the people of Chillicothe. The people of this community know me, know my commitment to this city, and know the work we've accomplished together. I was disappointed by Senator Moreno's letter as it incorrectly attributed another person's comments to me. What I did say was that as Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted was a central figure in the First Energy bribery scandal and now our electric bills are through the roof. I also said that gas and diesel prices are out of control because of the Iran war and that Senator Husted has voted to continue that war. I also spoke about Senator Brown’s commitment to Chillicothe and his efforts to save the Chillicothe VA. I stand by all of those statements. I've actually appreciated Senator Moreno's efforts to bring jobs back to Chillicothe. That’s why I was surprised to see him say that I have not reached out to his office. I've had regular phone conversations, text messages, emails and meetings with his staff over the past year and a half. Similarly his criticisms of the city staff are just unfounded. I'm not interested in trading personal accusations. My focus is on delivering results for Chillicothe. Sherrod Brown has always fought for the hardworking people in this community and has the record to show it. I'll continue working with anyone, regardless of party, who shares that kind of commitment.
