Don't believe the national narrative that Ohio isn't a key state in the 2020 presidential election, state Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper told That's So Cincinnati podcast this week.

Ohio Democrats are performing the role of "left tackle" and "firewall" for key swing states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, Pepper said. What does that mean?

Democrats want to "protect" those states by making Trump spend money and time in Ohio, a strategy they hope will divert the president's resources in the Midwest, Pepper said.

Pepper, the former Cincinnati city councilman and Hamilton County commissioner, also talked about his political thriller novels and the role local journalism plays in democracy.