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SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION RECAP **
DEPIERO
ELECTED PARMA MAYOR; KOZIURA, WILLIAMS LOSE
Three incumbent members of the Ohio House were on the ballot last night
as candidates for mayor. Only one was victorious.
In
Parma, Ohio’s seventh largest city, Rep. Dean DePiero (D-Parma)
cruised to a 60%-37% victory over Councilwoman Debbie Lime. Lime was
a Democrat running for mayor as an Independent. She also garnered the
endorsement of the Parma Republican Party.
DePiero, who stepped down as House minority leader earlier this year
at least in part to focus on running for mayor, will need to resign
from the House in order to take office in Parma in January.
In
a rematch of the 1999 Lorain mayor’s race, incumbent Mayor Craig
Foltin (R) once again topped Rep. Joe Koziura (D-Lorain). Foltin, who
knocked off then-incumbent Koziura by just 412 votes four years ago,
won a second term in much easier fashion, 55%-45%. Following his defeat
in the state’s tenth largest city, Koziura said he plans to run
for re-election to the House next year.
For
the third House member running for mayor, the outcome wasn’t anywhere
near close. Rep. Bryan Williams (R-Akron), running an uphill battle
for mayor of Akron against four-term incumbent Don Plusquellic (D),
was trounced by Plusquellic 71%-29%. Williams is prevented by term limits
from running for re-election to the House next year; he’s undecided
about his political future at this point.
ISSUE 1: DID THE FIRST FRONTIER STOP THE THIRD FRONTIER?
Yesterday’s defeat of State Issue 1 by a 51% - 49% margin raises
a number of interesting questions for Ohio politics and the organizations
that participate in the political process. The Taft Administration’s
plan to use bond money to create high-technology jobs had a strong appeal
for advanced manufacturers and the university community, which was a
big factor in the Ohio Chamber’s support of the issue. So with
the support of the governor, a $3 million budget and “no organized
opposition,” why couldn’t Issue 1 get across the finish line?
One immediate assessment begins with the difficulty of getting a “Yes”
vote on any ballot issue. Voters uncertain about the effects of a ballot
issue generally will vote “No” as a safe option. In a less
than vibrant economy, perhaps the voters are playing as conservatively
with the state’s money as they are with their own. Using the school
levy results around the state as an indicator, the prevailing attitudes
toward taxation and spending of public dollars are not favorable right
now.
Even given the uphill nature of a “yes” vote, why can’t
a well-funded media campaign overcome what the newspapers called “no
organized opposition?” The opposition may not have been very high
profile, but it was organized.
The Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Farmers’ Union (representing
Ohio’s First Frontier – Agriculture) told their members to
vote “no,” and looking at the county-by-county results on
Issue 1, they must have had an impact. Issue 1 failed in 66 of Ohio’s
70 principally rural counties. By contrast, it did rather well in a
number of Republican-leaning suburban areas, carrying Geauga, Greene,
Lake and Medina counties. The urban counties were about evenly divided,
and only the strong showings in Cuyahoga and Summit counties kept the
results as close as they were. So perhaps the Third Frontier Issue fell
victim to the First Frontier – the farming interests that still
constitute an economically powerful segment of Ohio.
2003 JUST A PRECURSOR TO 2004 FOR SOME CANDIDATES
With the filing deadline for next year’s elections less than two
months away, P.a.C.E. has been keeping an eye on candidates who are
believed to be interested in running for the Ohio legislature in 2004.
Here’s a recap of how some potential General Assembly candidates
fared yesterday in their bids for local office.
House District 7: Jimmy Boyle (D), a plaintiff’s attorney and the
son of former statewide candidate Mary Boyle (D), won re-election to
the South Euclid Council. He finished third among six candidates for
three at-large seats. He is a potential candidate in the Democrat primary
in the district currently held by Rep. Ed Jerse (D-Euclid). Jerse is
term-limited.
House District 29: Colerain Township (Hamilton County) Trustee Keith
Corman (R), who may run to succeed term-limited Rep. Patty Clancy (R-Cincinnati),
fended off a spirited challenge from a former trustee to win a second
term, 54%-46%.
House District 46: Plaintiff’s attorney Carol Contrada was elected
Sylvania Township (Lucas County) Trustee with 53% of the vote in a three-way
race. She is a possible Democrat candidate for the seat term-limited
Rep. Lynn Olman (R-Maumee) will vacate. Another possible Democrat candidate,
Jenny Barlos, was re-elected to Maumee Council. She finished second
in a four-way race for three spots. She is the wife of Lucas County
Commissioner Harry Barlos (D).
House District 62: Voters overwhelmingly re-elected Willowick Mayor
Lorraine Fende (D) to another term, handing her 61% of the vote. She
may be a candidate to succeed term-limited Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Willowick).
House District 66: Miami Township (Clermont County) Trustee Joe Uecker
(R) was unopposed in his re-election effort. He is a probable candidate
in the race to succeed Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland).
House District 91: Gary Burkholder (R), a member of the Ohio Republican
Party State Central Committee and a likely GOP candidate in the race
to succeed Speaker of the House Larry Householder (R-Glenford), won
election as an Etna Township (Licking County) Trustee. He got 45% of
the vote in a three-way race. Logan Mayor Paula Tucker (R), also mentioned
as a possible candidate, was denied re-election to another term as mayor
by just 3 votes, losing 992-989. A recount is in order.
House District 96: Dover Mayor Dick Homrighausen (R), mentioned as a
possible candidate for the seat now held by Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-St.
Clairsville), is in the lead in his bid for another term. He currently
has an extremely slim, four-vote margin – with approximately 200
walk-in votes yet to be counted. The race will be subject to an automatic
recount.
House District 98: Chardon Township (Geauga County) Trustee Don Welker
was unopposed for re-election. Should Rep. Tim Grendell (R-Chesterland)
opt not to run for re-election to the House, Welker is mentioned as
a possible GOP candidate to succeed him.
OTHER RACES OF NOTE
Centerville Mayor: Mark Kingseed (R), a member of the Board of Directors
of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, defeated incumbent Sally Beals and
was elected mayor of Centerville. Kingseed got 62% of the vote.
Chillicothe Mayor: Making a quick return to public office is former
Rep. Joe Sulzer (D). Sulzer, who was defeated for re-election to the
House last year by Rep. John Schlichter (R-Washington C.H.), will once
again be the mayor of Chillicothe after posting a 55%-45% victory. He
was mayor of Chillicothe when he was appointed to fill a vacant House
seat in 1997.
Cincinnati Council: Falling well short in his campaign for one of nine
seats on Cincinnati City Council was former Rep. Sam Britton (D). Britton
finished 19th out of 26 candidates, nearly 13,000 votes behind the ninth-place
finisher.
Cuyahoga Falls Clerk of Municipal Court: It wasn’t a good night
for General Assembly spouses, as Anne Coughlin was one of two spouses
to lose. Coughlin, wife of Sen. Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls), fell
just short in her bid to win election as Clerk of Municipal Court for
the Cuyahoga Falls Division. She lost by 267 votes out of nearly 50,000
cast.
Franklin County Municipal Court Judge: Ohio Chamber member Julia Dorrian
(D), wife of Ohio Chamber Board member and former Rep. Dave Robinson
(R), won a seat on the Franklin County Municipal Court by ousting appointed
incumbent Judge Julie Lynch (R). Dorrian scored a 56%-44% win.
Lakewood Mayor: Former Rep. Madeline Cain (D) was denied a third term
as mayor of Lakewood, losing re-election 54%-46%.
Lawrence Township Trustee: Former Rep. Mike Stevens (D) won re-election
to the Lawrence Township (Stark County) Board of Trustees with 62% of
the vote. He briefly served in the House in 2000 after being appointed
to complete the remainder of former Rep. Johnnie Maier’s (D) term.
Stevens was beaten in the 2000 General Election by current Rep. John
Hagan (R-Alliance).
Newark Mayor: Cheri Hottinger (R), the wife of Sen. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark),
failed in her bid to win election as mayor of Newark. She lost an open-seat
contest 55%-45%.
Newark Council President: Former Rep. Marc Guthrie (D) captured 56%
of the vote en route to being elected President of Newark Council.
Seven Hills Mayor: David Bentkowski (R), a Chamber Choice candidate
in 1998, was elected mayor of Seven Hills, garnering 59% of the vote.
Bentkowski his ’98 campaign for the Ohio House to Dean DePiero.
Worthington School Board: Former Appeals Court Judge Gary Tyack (D),
defeated last year in his bid for re-election, made a triumphant return
to politics by being elected to the Worthington (Franklin County) School
Board. He finished first among three candidates. Tyack lost a challenge
to Thomas Moyer for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 1998.
THE LATEST FROM BUTLER COUNTY
It wasn’t decided at the polls last night, but the race between
Rep. Gary Cates (R-West Chester) and Butler County Commissioner Courtney
Combs (R-Hamilton) to succeed term-limited Sen. Scott Nein (R-Middletown)
is already over and Cates has won.
Last week, the Butler County Republican Central Committee met and voted
to bestow the party’s endorsement on Cates, which resulted in a
decision by Combs to drop out of the race.
Party rules dictated that a candidate needed 60% of the votes cast in
order to earn the endorsement; Cates captured 70%. He should now be
unopposed in the March primary.
The heated battle for county commissioner will go on, however. Neither
incumbent Commissioner Mike Fox (R-Hamilton) nor Rep. Greg Jolivette
(R-Hamilton) managed to secure the necessary 60% – Jolivette received
53% to 44% for Fox – so they will face off in March.
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