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SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION RECAP ISSUE **
CLIFFHANGER!
SCHMIDT LEADS NIEHAUS BY JUST 62 VOTES
In the end, it was all about resources. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland)
had more of them and, as it turns out, she needed every penny. In the
year’s most talked-about primary, Rep. Schmidt eked out a narrow
62-vote win over fellow Rep. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) to win the
GOP nomination in the 14th Senate district. Senate President Doug White
(R-Manchester) is term-limited.
As the saying goes, however, “It’s not over ‘til it’s
over.” With such a thin margin separating the two candidates and
the results still unofficial, things could conceivably change. There
are likely some absentee and provisional ballots that were not yet counted
– how many in each county should be known later today. In any event,
once the election results are certified – which could take three
weeks or more – an automatic recount will be required, as state
law mandates a recount when the vote difference is less than 1% of the
total votes cast.
Given the widespread belief around the Statehouse just a few weeks ago
that Rep. Schmidt would win going away, many credit the Ohio Chamber
of Commerce PAC’s endorsement of Rep. Niehaus with providing him
the boost he needed to turn this into the competitive race it ended
up being.
Rep. Niehaus ran strong in Adams and Brown Counties and, even though
Rep. Schmidt had the county party endorsement in Clermont County, he
prevailed there by 118 votes. It was Rep. Schmidt’s unexpectedly
strong showing in Lawrence and Scioto Counties that was decisive. She
piled up a 905-vote margin in Lawrence and a 951-vote margin in Scioto,
allowing her to overcome the 1,794 vote lead Rep. Niehaus had amassed
in the rest of the district.
In a race decided by so few votes, second-guessing is commonplace and
losing candidates and campaigns often beat themselves up over what else
they could or should have done. In this case, not being able to afford
to go on TV in the Huntington, West Virginia market – the market
that covers viewers in Lawrence and Scioto Counties – may be what
ultimately doomed Rep. Niehaus. He was unable to respond in this area
to nearly a week of the misleading TV attack ads that were being aired
by the Ohio Taxpayers Association.
FUERST
BLOWS OUT GWIN
In the February 5, 2004 issue of The Political Edge, we talked about
the chinks in organized labor’s armor nationally. Now, there’s
also reason to question labor’s ability to deliver in Ohio, as
well.
In yesterday’s lone primary for the Ohio Supreme Court, Cuyahoga
County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Fuerst hammered 5th District Court of
Appeals Judge W. Scott Gwin, 60%-40%. Gwin was the endorsed candidate
in this race of both the AFL-CIO and the Ohio Democratic Party. If labor
can’t even deliver in a Democrat primary, there should be doubts
about how effective they’ll be in November.
Despite running against the party’s preferred candidate, Fuerst
won 73 out of the state’s 88 counties. Her win is largely attributable
to her financial advantage, as she probably outspent Gwin two-to-one.
Though they raised roughly equal amounts, a $200,000 loan to her campaign
by her husband gave Fuerst this advantage.
Gwin was strongest in the counties that make up the 5th district Court
of Appeals, where he has previously appeared on the ballot, and in southern
Ohio, where his decision for the plaintiffs in the DeRolph school funding
case when it appeared in his courtroom likely endeared him to voters
in this region.
Fuerst’s General Election opponent is 6th District Court of Appeals
Judge Judith Lanzinger, and while the Ohio Chamber PAC has not yet screened
Supreme Court candidates this year, early indications are that Lanzinger
is the candidate most likely to share our concern over judicial activism.
Therefore, for the business community, Fuerst’s win is perhaps
unfortunate.
Ohio voters, all else being equal, typically prefer female judicial
candidates to male ones, and Fuerst’s nomination renders moot the
gender issue that may have worked in Lanzinger’s favor had Gwin
been her opponent.
In the last 16 Ohio Supreme Court elections, a GOP candidate has only
won once when his or her margin of defeat in Cuyahoga County was more
than 100,000 votes. Lanzinger’s ability to accomplish this will
be that much more difficult given the fact that the Fuerst surname is
very well-known in Cuyahoga County.
Finally, she is clearly a favorite of the state’s trial bar –
a quick glance through her campaign finance report makes that quite
evident. And an enthusiastic trial bar willing to once again open their
check books in an effort to take over our state’s highest court
means that the 2004 Supreme Court elections will probably look a lot
like those of 2000 and 2002 – expensive and nasty.
This is no time for Ohio’s business community to assume the Supreme
Court problem is “fixed.” A fair and balanced court is once
again at stake.
OHIO SENATE PRIMARY RESULTS
Senate District 14: (Republicans) – The support of the Speaker
of the House, a significant fundraising advantage, and $120,000 in TV
attack ads from the Ohio Taxpayers Association helped Rep. Jean Schmidt
(R-Loveland) to a narrow 62 vote lead in the year’s most talked
about primary. She crushed OCCPaC-endorsed Rep. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond)
in the eastern part of the district, winning Lawrence and Scioto Counties
with 63% of the vote. Niehaus won the district’s largest county,
Clermont, by 118 votes and posted solid margins in Adams and Brown Counties,
but it may not be quite enough. If Schmidt maintains her lead, she’ll
be the heavy favorite to win in November against Paul Schwietering (D-Cherry
Grove).
Senate District 18: (Democrat) – Attorney and Mentor-on-the-Lake
Councilman John Hawkins scored a 53%-47% win over Danielle Deighton
of Mentor, a registered nurse. Hawkins will now face Rep. Tim Grendell
in the General Election. The winner will replace term-limited Sen. Bob
Gardner (R-Madison).
Senate District 18: (Republican) – The expected struggle between
Reps. Jamie Callender (R-Willowick) and Tim Grendell (R-Chesterland)
never really materialized, and Grendell wound up winning the GOP nomination
with surprising ease. The race was cordial throughout, and Callender
essentially suspended his campaigning after he put his name in the mix
for a Lake County Common Pleas judgeship that became vacant in early
February. Grendell not only carried his home county, Geauga, but also
won Callender’s home county, Lake, en route to a 67%-33% overall
victory.
Senate District 24: (Republican) – Incumbent Sen. Bob Spada (R-N.
Royalton) brushed aside Broadview Heights Councilman Don Sopka 75%-25%.
Spada, who was the OCCPaC-endorsed candidate in this primary, is well-positioned
to capture a second full term in November. He’ll be opposed by
engineer Robert Matius (D-Westlake).
Senate District 28: (Democrat) – Former Rep. Tom Seese (D-Akron)
failed in his bid to knock-off appointed Sen. Kim Zurz (D-Green). Zurz
easily won both the Portage and Summit County portions of the district
and triumphed by 9,537 votes overall. While rumors persist that former
Rep. Twyla Roman (R-Akron) may yet be coaxed into running, the district
is solidly Democratic and Zurz is the favorite to win a full term.
Senate District 30: (Democrat) – Despite former Rep. Jerry Krupinski’s
(D-Steubenville) best effort to score an upset by painting his opponent,
OCCPaC-endorsed Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-St. Clairsville), as a closet
Republican, Wilson defeated Krupinski 67%-33%. Wilson carried all but
one of the five counties in the district. The GOP is still searching
for a replacement candidate after their original one withdrew, but Wilson
will be favored against whomever the Republicans find. Current Sen.
Greg DiDonato (D-New Philadelphia) is term-limited.
OHIO
HOUSE PRIMARY RESULTS
House District 2: (Democrat) – Realtor Catherine Burner (D-Westerville)
bested William Baker of Delaware by 1,681 votes. Combined, the two candidates
got just over 50% fewer votes than the incumbent and heavy General Election
favorite, Rep. Jon Peterson (R-Delaware), did running unopposed in the
GOP primary.
House District 5: (Republican) – Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster),
who was endorsed by OCCPaC, had little trouble with UPS driver Bradley
Sodders (R-Baltimore). Schaffer scored a convincing 86%-14% win and
will no doubt earn a third term in November against challenger Kelley
Handwork (D-Canal Winchester).
House District 7: (Democrat) – Boosted by both a tremendous financial
advantage and the endorsement of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party,
Kenny Yuko of Richmond Heights, an organizer for a local labor union,
posted a 1,554 vote victory over former Euclid school board member Kent
Smith. Yuko outraised Smith by more than 6-to-1, and is now in line
to succeed term-limited Rep. Ed Jerse (D-Euclid).
House District 7: (Republican) – Cleveland school administrator
Beverly Valencic (R-Euclid) beat industrial hygienist Steve Pressman
(R-S. Euclid) 56%-44% to earn the right to carry the GOP banner against
Yuko in November. Her prospects aren’t good in this solid Democrat
district.
House District 9: (Democrat) – Rep. Claudette Woodard (D-Cleveland
Heights) turned away a challenge by former Cleveland Heights-University
Heights school board member Eric Silverman, winning 72%-28%. Woodard
will face Bonnie Dolezal (R-Cleveland Heights) in November. There’s
not much chance of a Republican winning in this district.
House District 11: (Democrat) – Rep. Annie Key (D-Cleveland), the
OCCPaC-endorsed candidate, got 57% of the vote in a three-way race,
paving the way for her to win a third term. Her 2002 primary opponent,
T.J. Dow of Cleveland, was second with 25%. Trevor Elkins finished third
with the remaining 18%. Republican David Coe is simply a sacrificial
lamb in the General in this heavily Democratic, inner-city Cleveland
district.
House District 15: (Democrat) – Appointed Rep. Timothy DeGeeter
(D-Parma) easily fended off a primary challenge from former Rep. Mickey
Mottl (D-Parma), winning 73%-27%. DeGeeter was appointed earlier this
year to succeed former Rep. and current Parma Mayor Dean DePiero and
will square off against Republican Tim Corrigan in November.
House District 15: (Republican) – Firefighter Tim Corrigan (R-Middleburg
Heights) doused Brooklyn’s Jay Parma 62%-38% to win the GOP nomination.
Though Corrigan is a recognizable surname in Cuyahoga County, he still
faces an uphill battle against DeGeeter.
House District 17: (Democrat) – Personal injury attorney David
Pomerantz (D-Solon), whose campaign finance report reads like the personal
injury attorney section of the Cleveland Yellow Pages, parlayed a 4-to-1
fundraising advantage and the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party endorsement
into an easy win over Red Cross spokesman Mike Cook (D-Solon). Pomerantz,
who will now face Rep. Jim Trakas (R-Independence) in the fall, won
with 64% of the vote.
House District 20: (Republican) – Publisher Jamie Coyne (R-Columbus)
failed in his bid to topple incumbent Rep. Jim McGregor (R-Gahanna).
McGregor, who was endorsed by OCCPaC, prevailed 74%-26% and will face
Westerville Democrat Michael Murdock in his bid for a second term.
House District 26: (Democrat) – In perhaps the biggest upset of
the night, freshman Rep. Larry Price (D-Columbus) was ousted by challenger
Mike Mitchell of Columbus. Mitchell successfully made an issue of Price’s
support of last year’s biennial budget, received strong backing
from the Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio – who were upset with
Price for his support of the recently passed Defense of Marriage Act
– and worked aggressively to register new voters. Price apparently
took the challenge lightly, and he ended up on the short end of the
race by 173 votes. Mitchell will have very little trouble winning in
November in this heavily Democratic district.
House District 29: (Republican) – After spending eight years in
the Ohio Senate, Sen. Lou Blessing’s (R-Cincinnati) victory in
a three-way primary now puts him in line to return to the House, where
he served for seven terms in the 80’s and early 90’s. He garnered
53% of the votes in besting Colerain Township Trustee Keith Corman and
Springfield Township Clerk John Waksmundski.
House District 34: (Republican) – The support of many prominent
Hamilton County Republicans and the endorsement of The Cincinnati Enquirer
wasn’t enough for attorney Greg Delev of Anderson Township to oust
incumbent Rep. Tom Brinkman (R-Mt. Lookout). Delev tried to cast Brinkman
as ineffective, but the voters didn’t buy it. Brinkman won 63%-37%
and should now have little difficulty winning a third term.
House District 41: (Democrat) – Former Akron Public Schools Superintendent
Brian Williams (D-Akron) captured a majority of the vote in a three-way
race for the Democratic nomination for the seat currently held by term-limited
Rep. Bryan Williams (R-Akron). Williams got 54% of the vote. Gregg Cramer
of Fairlawn was second with 33%. Williams will now face Republican Marilyn
Slaby of Akron in the General Election.
House District 52: (Democrat) – Bill Healy (D-Canton), the son
of former Rep. Bill Healy, captured a majority of the vote in a four-way
primary, ousting incumbent Rep. Mary Cirelli (D-Canton) in the process.
Healy got 50.3% of the votes; Cirelli was second with 33%. Her decision
to disparage the voting record of Healy’s father earned her heavy
criticism from the local media, and the tactic appears to have backfired.
House District 56: (Democrat) – Rep. Joe Koziura (D-Lorain) polished
off two primary challengers, his ’02 primary opponent Justin Hill
and Lorain Councilwoman Kathy Tavenner. Koziura pulled 54% of the vote,
while Tavenner was the runner-up with 34%. His win sets up a rematch
of 2002’s General Election, which Koziura won 71%-29% over Republican
Daniel Jack Williamson of Oberlin.
House District 57: (Democrat) – Former N. Ridgeville Mayor Deanna
Hill faced a tougher-than-expected battle from flight instructor and
first-time candidate Eric Schneider of Elyria, but still scored a 59%-41%
win. With her victory, she becomes the House Democrats’ best opportunity
to knock off a sitting Republican House member.
House District 57: (Republican) – Appointed Rep. Earl Martin (R-Avon
Lake), aided by his OCCPaC endorsement, came from behind to defeat veteran
State School Board member Martha Wise (R-Avon). Early polls had Martin
trailing Wise by double-digits, but his incumbency and the support he
received from the House Republican caucus, coupled with Wise’s
inability to raise sufficient funds, helped him overtake her. He posted
a 62%-38% win. Watch for the Hill-Martin contest to be near or at the
top of the list of the year’s most expensive General Election matchups.
House District 60: (Democrat) – Rep. Sylvester Patton (D-Youngstown)
once again defeated all comers looking to take away his seat in the
Democrat primary – something he’s had to do every time he’s
run. This year, the OCCPaC-backed Patton easily handled two opponents,
winning 49% of the vote in his bid for a fourth and final term.
House District 61: (Republican) – A 61%-39% win by Alliance Councilman
Randy Pope over Jonathan Swift of Alliance in the GOP primary paves
the way for another rematch. Pope will again face Rep. John Boccieri
(D-New Middletown), a captain in the Air Force Reserve who’s currently
serving a tour of duty in Iraq. Boccieri beat Pope 61%-39% two years
ago.
House District 62: (Republican) – Chris Galloway (R-Concord) won
a convincing 58%-42% victory over Greg Schmidt (R-Willoughby) to secure
the GOP nomination for the seat being vacated by Rep. Jamie Callender
(R-Willowick). Willowick Mayor Lorraine Fende awaits Galloway and is
probably the early favorite in this swing district that represents perhaps
the best pickup opportunity for Democrats in 2004.
House District 64: (Democrat) – Rep. Dan Sferra (D-Warren) beat
challenger Randall Pigott of Warren 56%-44%. In what will be yet another
rematch, Sferra will square off against Republican Randy Law in November.
The 2002 Law-Sferra race ended up being one of the year’s closest
contests, which Sferra won by 2,406 votes. However, Law’s performance
in 2002 won’t likely be repeated this year.
House District 66: (Republican) – In the year’s only five-way
primary, OCCPaC-endorsed candidate Joe Uecker, a Miami Township Trustee,
scored a win by picking up 40% of the votes cast. Retired CPA Don Donohoo
was second, 2,386 votes behind Uecker, while technical writer Carl Dorsch
was third. Uecker is almost assured of election in November, as no Democrat
even filed to run in one of the state’s most Republican districts.
House District 71: (Republican) – OCCPaC-endorsed Rep. Dave Evans
(R-Newark) got 71% of the vote in cruising to victory over Johnstown
Councilman Jeff Furr. Evans will face Geoffrey Judge (D-Newark) in November
in his effort to win a fourth term.
House District 84: (Democrat) – Software engineer William Eby (D-South
Vienna) narrowly edged substitute teacher Kevin Stockham (D-Plain City),
winning by just 116 votes. He’ll now oppose Rep. Chris Widener
(R-Springfield) in the fall.
House District 84: (Republican) – Freshman Rep. Chris Widener (R-Springfield)
moved one step closer to earning a second term with a solid 85%-15%
win over challenger Bob Rogers (R-Mechanicsburg), an electrician. The
OCCPaC-endorsed Widener is the favorite against Eby.
House District 88: (Republican) – Though this race was occurring
in the shadow of the Niehaus-Schmidt Senate primary, it was an interesting
battle featuring three strong candidates running to succeed Rep. Niehaus.
In the end, attorney Danny Bubp (R-W. Union) prevailed with 44% of the
vote. Harry Snyder (R-Batavia) was second with 30% and Pierce Township
Trustee Curt Hartman (R-Amelia) was third. Bubp will face retired educator
and current State School Board member Cy Richardson (D-Bethel).
House District 91: (Republican) – He’s back (if he wins in
November)! A resident of the district for just a few months, former
Rep. Ron Hood (R-Ashville) defeated three other candidates to capture
the GOP nomination for the seat currently held by Speaker of the House
Larry Householder (R-Glenford). Tapping into his base of statewide and
national conservative contacts for fundraising support, Hood managed
a slim 335 vote victory. He won two of the four counties in the district,
but it was his victory in Licking, the largest of the four – and
the only one that didn’t have a local candidate on the ballot –
that provided his margin. He won 43% of the vote in Licking County.
Former Hocking County Commissioner Fred Hawk won his home county and
finished second to Hood. Perry-Hocking ESC Superintendent Dale Dickson
of Perry County won his home county and finished third. Hood is the
prohibitive favorite against first-time candidate Dan Dodd (D-New Lexington)
in the General.
House District 96: (Democrat) – Real estate appraiser Allan Sayre’s
(D-Dover) 2,533-vote margin in his home county, Tuscarawas, was enough
to carry him to victory over Barbara Pincola of Cadiz. Pincola carried
both Belmont and Harrison Counties, but still fell by 655 votes overall.
The district is currently held by term-limited Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-St.
Clairsville). The GOP candidate is retired state trooper Tom Gerber
of New Philadelphia. The 96th is a swing district, and it represents
one of the few places where House Republicans could hope to pick up
a seat in 2004, though a close contest is expected.
House District 98: (Republican) – In the race to replace Rep. Tim
Grendell (R-Chesterland), attorney Matt Dolan (R-Novelty) emerged with
a 60%-40% win over Chardon Township Trustee Don Welker (R-Chardon).
Dolan will be a solid favorite against Democrat Dan Dombeck of Highland
Heights in November.
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