Former state representative Kathleen Clyde is in line to become the next leader of the Ohio Democratic Party after her main opponent in the intra-party contest ended his candidacy on Thursday.

State Sen. Bill DeMora told some party members about his decision on Thursday, according to four sources, including people who have spoken with him. DeMora is a longtime party insider who’s served in the Ohio Senate since 2023 and recently touted backing from former Gov. Ted Strickland and Chris Redfern, who led the state party during Strickland’s tenure in the late 2000s.

After this story published, DeMora confirmed he’d ended his candidacy. “I’m out. Couldn’t get the votes to win,” he said in a message.

The development puts Clyde in a strong position to win the job when the Ohio Democratic Party’s executive committee meets Tuesday night to pick a new leader. The position became open after Liz Walters, who’s led the party since 2021, announced last month that she’s resigning a year earlier than she was supposed to so she can take a job with a Washington, D.C., political data firm. The party is looking to regroup for next year’s election after Sherrod Brown lost his U.S. Senate seat in November to Republican Bernie Moreno.

Both Clyde and DeMora announced a spate of endorsements recently. But Clyde’s most significant backer is Brown, who many Democrats are hoping will run for governor or U.S. Senate next year. Brown has remained involved in state party politics, including his endorsement of Clyde, but he hasn’t yet made a decision. Clyde is a former state legislator from Kent and Portage County commissioner who now lives in the Columbus area.

Three other candidates are running for the job: Tamie Wilson, a former congressional candidate from Delaware County, Greene County Democratic Party Chair Kim McCarthy and Kyle Herman, a member of Stow City Council.