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OHIO
CHAMBER PAC ANNOUNCES PRIMARY ENDORSEMENTS
During each election cycle, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action
Committee (CCOPaC) offers endorsements in Ohio General Assembly districts
where there’s a clear difference between the candidates on issues
that impact jobs and Ohio’s economy.
With the primary election less than two weeks away, OCCPaC announced
this week 11 primary endorsements. The 11 endorsed candidates represent
a mix of Democrats and Republicans, House candidates and Senate candidates,
and incumbents and open seat candidates. There are 25 other contested
primaries in which no endorsement was issued.
Each of the candidates endorsed by OCCPaC has demonstrated a solid understanding
of the issues important to Ohio’s business community and, in most
cases, a track record of working to advance a pro-jobs and economic
growth agenda.
The slate of 2004 OCCPaC-endorsed candidates:
OHIO SENATE
Rep. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond)
14th Senate District
This GOP primary wins the award for the year’s “most talked
about.” The seat is currently occupied by Senate President Doug
White (R-Manchester), who cannot seek re-election due to term limits.
Niehaus has served in the Ohio House since 2001. He has compiled an
outstanding 91% pro-business voting record during his tenure in the
legislature, including a perfect 100% score in the current legislative
session. He spent 25 years in the private sector before winning his
seat in the House, and at one time served as a board member of the Clermont
County Chamber of Commerce.
Sen. Bob Spada (R-North Royalton)
24th Senate District
Sen. Spada is seeking his second full-term in the Ohio Senate, and was
an OCCPaC “Chamber Choice” candidate in 2000. Spada, a financial
consultant and small business owner, has put together a 95% cumulative
pro-business voting record since taking office in early 1999.
Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-St. Clairsville)
30th Senate District
The battle to replace term-limited Sen. Greg DiDonato (D-New Philadelphia)
begins in the Democrat primary, which pits Rep. Charlie Wilson against
former Rep. Jerry Krupinski (D-Steubenville). Wilson’s cumulative
pro-business voting record of 92% is vastly superior to the 68% Krupinski
assembled. As a small business owner, Wilson understands firsthand the
needs of businesses, and his recent vote against HB 225, the mental
health parity mandate, underscores this knowledge.
OHIO HOUSE
Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster)
5th House District
Two-term incumbent Rep. Schaffer is facing a challenge that stems largely
from the ongoing feud within the Fairfield County Republican Party,
wherein Schaffer is a leader in an effort to oust the current party
chair. Schaffer’s pro-business credentials are not in question,
however, as his cumulative 97% pro-business voting record reveals.
Rep. Annie Key (D-Cleveland)
11th House District
In a district where the expected level of support amongst the voters
for the business agenda is anemic, Key has consistently exceeded expectations.
The former small business owner has earned OCCPaC support in the past,
and her 71% cumulative pro-business voting record is one of the highest
scores amongst Cleveland-area House Democrats.
Rep. Jim McGregor (R-Gahanna)
20th House District
A perfect 100% score so far this session raises the cumulative pro-business
voting record for this former mayor of Gahanna to 96%. He’s seeking
his second full term.
Rep. Earl Martin
(R-Avon Lake)
57th House District
The owner of three local delis, Martin was appointed in the spring of
2003 to replace the late Rep. Jeff Manning (R-N. Ridgeville). Martin’s
real world business experience has translated into him becoming a strong
voice for business in the legislature, as evidenced by his 100% pro-business
voting record since being appointed. However, his relative lack of name
recognition has resulted in a stiff primary challenge from veteran state
school board member Martha Wise, and he is the most vulnerable House
incumbent.
Rep. Sylvester Patton (D-Youngstown)
60th House District
Like Key, Patton has consistently outperformed the level of support
expected in a district such as his. He faces two opponents in his bid
for a fourth and final term, and OCCPaC stands with him on the basis
of his solid 86% cumulative pro-business voting record.
Joe
Uecker (R-Loveland)
66th House District
A five-way GOP primary is on tap in the district currently held by outgoing
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland). This district is heavily Republican
and the winner will almost certainly be the next state rep. Uecker,
currently serving his fourth term as a Miami Township trustee, has a
diverse background. He began his professional career by working as a
police officer for 16 years, then moved into the private sector as a
computer systems sales manager. For the past decade, he has been the
administrator of the Clermont County Engineer’s office. His responses
to the Chamber’s issues questionnaire reveal a solid understanding
of and commitment to the issues important to Ohio’s business community.
Rep. Dave Evans (R-Newark)
71st House District
Rep. Evans, a retired insurance underwriter and 1998 “Chamber Choice”
candidate, is seeking a fourth full term. He has been a staunch pro-business
advocate from the day he took office and has one of the highest cumulative
voting records – 97% – of any member of the House.
Rep. Chris Widener (R-Springfield)
84th House District
Freshman Rep. Widener, an architect, is another legislator with personal
experience in running a small business. To date, Widener is still sporting
a 100% voting record. In addition, he is the sponsor of HB 342, a Chamber-backed
bill that proactively aims to stop silica and mixed dust claims from
becoming the next mass tort crisis in Ohio.
“GANG
OF FOUR” LEADER TO LEAD OCSEA
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Andy Douglas was recently named as
the new executive director of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association,
Ohio’s largest public employees union. Douglas, who was forced
out by age limits last year, was the de facto leader of the four-member
activist majority that controlled the state’s highest court for
the past decade.
A former union member himself, he should feel right at home working
for organized labor. In the P.a.C.E. 2002 Business Evaluation of
the Ohio Supreme Court, Douglas posted the lowest score on the Court
in the area of workers’ compensation and had the next-to-worst
score on employment law cases – in addition to being tied with
Justice Alice Resnick for having the lowest overall score.
BUSH
SEES OHIO NUMBERS TUMBLE TO NEW LOW
As the Democrats near the end of their presidential nominating process,
the focus is beginning to shift to the November General Election contest,
which will pit their eventual nominee against incumbent Pres. George
W. Bush. Clearly, Ohio will be a key battleground in the presidential
campaign, and many observers believe the Buckeye State may be the state
in which the race is won or lost.
So, what do Ohioans think right now about the job Pres. Bush is doing,
and who do Democrats back to run against him? Two recent “Ohio
Polls” conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University
of Cincinnati attempt to answer these questions.
The latest poll, released today and conducted between Jan. 30 and Feb.
10, shows the president’s overall approval ratings at 49% –
a figure that matches the percentage of Ohioans that disapprove of his
performance. More troubling, no doubt, for the President is the fact
that, for the first time, majorities of Ohioans disapprove of his handling
of both foreign affairs and the economy. 47% approve of his performance
in foreign affairs, while just 40% approve of his performance concerning
the economy.
On the Democratic side, Sen. John Kerry has a big lead over all other
candidates, garnering the support of 45% of respondents. Sen. John Edwards
was second with 13%, while former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean – who
dropped out of the race today – was third with 12%. Ohio’s
own presidential candidate, Cong. Dennis Kucinich, was at 7%. The “Ohio
Poll” polled Democrats and independents concerning the Democrat
primary.
Pres. Bush won Ohio in 2000 by just 50.0%-46.4%, even after Al Gore
essentially abandoned Ohio in early October – a decision which,
in retrospect, the Gore campaign regrets. Democrats promise they won’t
make the same mistake in 2004.
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