ASHLAND — The chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party broke her silence Friday by stating she was “ejected” from the county fair for “political reasons.”
Heather Sample, 47, serves as the chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party, whose booth was booted from the Ashland County fairgrounds Thursday after the fair board’s discovery of what it described as offensive buttons.
The local Democratic Party attempted to sell the politically charged buttons at a fair booth. The buttons depicted a red hat with words such as “Fascist” and “Resist.” Smaller text read, “Is he dead yet?” and “One day, we will wake up to his obituary.”
Some of them also contained “8647,” a political code interpreted by some as a call to violence against President Trump.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Kurt Schneider also said he has notified the U.S. Secret Service to look into “any crimes that may be associated with (President Trump’s) safety.”
Ashland County Agricultural Society President Marty Wesner said he and other board members learned of the buttons Thursday around 2 p.m. He said he asked the Democratic party to remove the buttons and other offensive material.
When that didn’t happen, the board decided to have the booth removed from the fair.
Sample, who has been the chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party since 2023, said she wasn’t there for the fair board’s initial ask.
But “was at the ‘pack your stuff and go time,'” she said.
The fair board’s move was not unprecedented.
Around three years ago, an organization dubbed the Conservative Coalition had some inappropriate “propaganda.” Wesner said the fair board asked the group to take down the material and they did. They’ve also asked vendors to remove items from shelves that are deemed inappropriate for young children, like toy guns.
Sample decried Thursday’s incident as an example of censorship, something she said has never happened in Ashland County.
“Both county parties have had booths at the county fair each year for over five decades. This is the first time county officials have ever ejected anyone from the fair for strictly political reasons,” she said.
“The use of law enforcement to suppress political speech at the local level represents a
grave threat to our democracy and the foundational principle that government officials
cannot use their power to punish dissent.”
She likened the move to “shameful chapters” in American history.
“(Former President) Nixon kept an enemies list and attempted to use the IRS to target journalists. (Former U.S. Sen. Joseph) McCarthy dragged writers, actors, and reporters before hearings and wrecked careers with blacklists and loyalty oaths. Those were shameful chapters,” she said.
The Ashland County Democratic Party chair hearkened the words of Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) when he called the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show earlier this week “dangerous and unconstitutional.”
Heather Sample
“What we are witnessing is ‘censorship in action,'” Sample said. “Our party remains committed to engaging with the voters of Ashland County and fighting for the democratic principles that are under attack.”
‘We should have thought about this more’
Sample expressed some regret over the incident, which happened just eight days following nationwide unrest over the assassination of conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk.
“We hear those in our own party and those in opposition who feel those buttons were in
poor taste. In retrospect, given the emotions running high in the wake of the Charlie Kirk
assassination and subsequent scrutiny of criticism by the government, we should have
thought about this more,” she said.
Sample said the Ashland County Democratic Party opposes the Trump administration and expresses that sentiment “using our words and peaceful demonstrations.”
“We do not and will never endorse political violence,” she said.
Read the full statement
Read Sample’s full statement below.
The Ashland County Democratic Party was ejected from its booth at the Ashland County
Fair yesterday, September 18th, 2025.
Three Republican members of the Ashland County fair board, backed by two Republican
County sheriff deputies, ordered the Ashland County Democratic Party to leave the county
fair and shut down their booth because they disapproved of Ashland Democrats criticizing
the Republican administration. Deputies told the residents staffing the booth that they had
to leave.
Both county parties have had booths at the county fair each year for over five decades.
This is the first time county officials have ever ejected anyone from the fair for strictly
political reasons.
The Sheriff told FOX News in Cleveland that he was informing the Secret Service.
This incident is not an isolated event but part of a dangerous pattern. We have seen
instances of abuse of power before. Nixon kept an enemies list and attempted to use the
IRS to target journalists. McCarthy dragged writers, actors, and reporters before hearings
and wrecked careers with blacklists and loyalty oaths. Those were shameful chapters.
However, even then, the machinery of the state was not routinely deployed to silence the
chairs of opposing parties at local community events.
The use of law enforcement to suppress political speech at the local level represents a
grave threat to our democracy and the foundational principle that government officials
cannot use their power to punish dissent. As Senator Ed Markey warned us this week,
what we are witnessing is “censorship in action.”
Our party remains committed to engaging with the voters of Ashland County and fighting
for the democratic principles that are under attack.
The Ashland County Democratic Party is committed to advocating for the values of
fairness, equality, and opportunity for all residents of Ashland County. We work to elect
Democratic candidates and engage with the community to build a brighter future for Ohio.
We hear those in our own party and those in opposition who feel those buttons were in
poor taste. In retrospect, given the emotions running high in the wake of the Charlie Kirk
assassination and subsequent scrutiny of criticism by the government, we should have
thought about this more. We strongly oppose many of the policies of the Trump
administration. We feel they are damaging the country. We express our ideas using our
words and peaceful demonstrations. We do not and will never endorse political violence.