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OHIO
CHAMBER PAC ANNOUNCES PRIMARY ENDORSEMENTS
Recently,
the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (OCCPaC) announced
endorsements of seven Ohio General Assembly candidates running in contested
races in the May 2 primary. The seven endorsed candidates are all candidates
for open seats and include a mix of Democrats and Republicans.
Each of the candidates endorsed by OCCPaC has demonstrated a commitment
to a favorable business climate in Ohio and, with the primary now just
two weeks away, OCCPaC will be working to support these candidates in
order to ensure their success on May 2. When making your decisions about
which candidates to support in the upcoming primary, we encourage you
to target your political resources into these races. These are candidates
who can make a difference for the entire business community.
The slate of 2006
OCCPaC-endorsed primary candidates:
Kyle Farmer (R-Baltimore)
5th House District
Farmer is a high school social studies teacher making his first run
for public office. He is aggressive and staunchly free market. He is
committed to reducing the regulatory burden businesses face and knows
that the fight to end lawsuit abuse in Ohio is not yet over. Farmer
was strongly recommended by a Ohio Chamber candidate screening committee
made up of Fairfield County businessmen and women familiar with the
candidates, and is the clear pro-business choice to succeed Rep. Tim
Schaffer (R-Lancaster).
Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland)
8th House District
In a district where the expected level of voter support for the business
agenda is extremely low, Williams’ recognition of the strong correlation
between a healthy business environment and job creation is a promising
start. Also, her experience working in the General Assembly as a legislative
aide will enable her to hit the ground running.
Erin Sullivan Lally (D-Cleveland)
14th House District
Sullivan is one of four Democrats seeking the nomination in the district
recently vacated by now-Sen. Dale Miller. She represented the neighboring
18th district in the House from 1999-2002. During these two previous
terms, Sullivan compiled a 78% pro-business voting record, which included
votes in support of joint and several liability reform and firearms
industry liability immunity. The seat was left vacant following Miller’s
appointment to the Senate in February, and the primary winner will
be appointed to the House soon after the May 2 election.
Dan White (R-Norwalk)
58th House District
Until he sold the company in 2004, White spent 25 years as the President
and CEO of Geotrac, a Norwalk company with over 200 employees. He also
serves on the board of directors of an Ohio bank. This real world business
experience will make White a valuable addition to the legislature.
This is his first run for public office.
Brant Luther (R-Alliance)
61st House District
The winner of the GOP primary will face a difficult contest in November
against a prominent personal injury attorney in this swing district.
And Luther, a former Stark County Auditor and Alliance councilman,
is a proven vote-getter who could ensure a competitive General Election.
From a business perspective, not only is he committed to supporting
the issues important to Ohio employers, but he’s also receiving
support from local business leaders.
Sen. Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon)
75th House District
Facing term limits in the Senate, Wachtmann is seeking to return to
the House, where he served from 1985-1998. A perfect 100% score so
far this session raises his lifetime pro-business voting record to
95%. The owner of a water conditioning business in Napoleon, Wachtmann
possesses real world business experience and understands the impact
governmental decisions have on the successful operation of a business.
Cliff Hite (R-Findlay)
76th House District
A teacher and former Findlay High School football coach, Hite has garnered
widespread support within the Hancock County business community. His
Chamber Candidate Questionnaire score was nearly 30 points higher than
his primary opponent, making it obvious that Hite is the pro-business
choice in the race to succeed Rep. Mike Gilb (R-Findlay).
A BRIEF LOOK
AT CONTESTED OHIO SENATE PRIMARIES
Senate District 1 (Republicans) – Following 2000’s Buchy/Jordan
and 2004’s Niehaus/Schmidt races that featured incumbent GOP House
members squaring off in open Senate primaries comes the 2006 version:
Buehrer/Hoops. Reps. Steve Buehrer (R-Delta) and Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon)
do battle in this heavily Republican district where incumbent Sen. Lynn
Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) faces term limits. Buehrer had more money on
hand through the end of 2005 – $251,000 vs. $180,000 – but
both have sufficient resources and the race will probably boil down
to who does best in Findlay and Hancock County. The county should account
for more than 20% of the votes cast in the primary, and neither candidate
has previously been on the ballot there. Hoops is being helped in the
area by Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti while Buehrer is counting on strong
support from social conservatives and has been endorsed by Wachtmann.
A close race – though probably not as close as Niehaus’ 22-vote
victory over Schmidt – is expected.
Senate District 13 (Democrats) – Sen. Jeff Armbruster (R-North
Ridgeville) eeked out a 372-vote re-election victory over Sue Morano
(D-Lorain) four years ago in this leaning Democrat district. Now, with
Armbruster facing term limits, Morano is back for another shot. The
registered nurse, who helped lead a successful 1999 effort to organize
health care workers at Community Health Partners Hospital in Lorain
and is now active in SEIU Local 1199, will first have to get by Sheffield
Lake Councilwoman Diana Huska. With a base in Lorain – the largest
city in the district – residual name recognition from her ’00
campaign, and heavy support from organized labor, Morano is the favorite.
This time, she’s probably the favorite in the General Election,
too.
Senate District 19 (Democrats) – Two candidates are vying for the
right to oppose Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland). Thomas Burkhart
(D-Danville) is a former union representative who ran unsuccessfully
for Congress in 1980, 1990, and 1996. Jason Griffith (D-Howard) is a
teacher at Kenyon College and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and a Howard
Township trustee. Whoever captures the Democratic nomination will be
the decided underdog against Harris in November.
Senate District 21 (Democrats) – With the term-limit forced retirement
of Senate Minority Leader C.J. Prentiss (D-Cleveland), four candidates
are seeking to replace her. The two favorites are current Reps. Annie
Key (D-Cleveland) and Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland). Smith has the backing
of Prentiss and influential Cong. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and has been
endorsed by the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and the AFL-CIO. Also
in the race are Clevelanders George Gaines, an attorney, and W. Lewis
Britt. The primary winner is a virtual lock to succeed Prentiss in this
overwhelmingly Democratic district that Sen. John Kerry carried with
83% of the vote in the 2004 presidential race.
Senate District 21 (Republicans) – Somewhat surprisingly, the GOP
has a primary in this district, too. The candidates are Richard Norris
(R-Cleveland) and Burrell Jackson (R-Cleveland). Norris has been Prentiss’
opponent six times, four times as a Democrat and, in both 1998 and 2002,
as a Republican. Jackson, a real estate consultant, is the more serious
candidate but has never before been on the ballot.
Senate District 23 (Democrats) – Appointed incumbent Sen. Dale
Miller (D-Cleveland) was elevated to the Senate when Sen. Dan Brady
(D-Cleveland) resigned in February. However, Jennifer Frigolette (D-Lakewood)
is attempting to deny Miller the Democratic nomination. Frigolette,
who has worked as a canvasser for an AFL-CIO affiliate and as a field
organizer for the liberal group MoveOn.org, is a first-time candidate
who has little likelihood of knocking off Miller.
Senate District 27 (Democrats) – Three candidates filed to take
on Sen. Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls), but one, Joshua Franchetti
(D-Copley), has withdrawn. The remaining two are Kevin Griffith (D-Cuyahoga
Falls) and Judy Hanna (D-Akron), both of whom are making their first
bids for public office. Griffith is a former Peace Corps volunteer and
recent master’s graduate who is currently campaigning full-time.
Hanna, an election reform advocate and history professor at the University
of Akron, is a slight favorite. Neither should be considered a top tier
challenger to Coughlin, though the district is competitive on paper.
Senate District 31 (Democrats) – Dennis Lupher (D-Lancaster) and
Bob Bensonhaver (D-Circleville) are seeking the Democratic nod in this
solid GOP district, where Sen. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) is term-limited.
Lupher, an economics professor at Ohio University-Lancaster, ran in
the 5th House district (Fairfield County) against Rep. Tim Schaffer
in 2004, losing 60%-40%. Bensonhaver is a ten-term Circleville councilman
making his first run for the legislature. Whoever wins will hope to
spring an upset in November.
Senate District 31 (Republicans) – The GOP primary in this district
is a three-way race. Like the race in Senate District 1, it features
a matchup between two current House members, Reps. Ron Hood (R-Ashville)
and Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster). The third candidate, Jeff Furr (R-Johnstown),
is a Johnstown councilman who lost a 2004 primary challenge to Rep.
David Evans (R-Newark), 71%-29%. The only reason the Hood/Schaffer contest
isn’t getting the kind of attention Buehrer/Hoops has is because
Hood didn’t decide to seek the Senate seat until just before the
February filing deadline, thus precluding a similar months-long buildup.
Neither candidate began the year with a sizable warchest: Schaffer’s
campaign account had $7,000 on-hand while Hood’s had just $1,900.
Hood will campaign as he always does – as an anti-tax, authentic
conservative who resists compromise. Schaffer will try to demonstrate
he is equally conservative but that he has a record of getting things
done while Hood’s purist approach renders him ineffective. The
race is likely to be decided in Licking County, where approximately
40% of the ballots will be cast. Schaffer will be on the ballot there
for the first time; Hood currently represents a small portion of the
county in the House.
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