Several developments from the Buckeye State today, as the fields solidify for the Senate race there. On the GOP side, Rob Portman has a pretty well unimpeded shot at the nomination now (facing only Cleveland-area auto dealer Tom Ganley). Auditor Mary Taylor, whose name had been bandied about as a more charismatic and less Bush-tinged alternative to the technocratic Portman, stated today that she’s not running against Portman (and his establishment backing and his $3 million CoH).
The Ohio Republican Party’s central committee unanimously endorsed Taylor today after she informed members in a conference call Wednesday night that she would run for re-election.
Taylor, who had not planned to publicly announce her decision until next week, has flirted with a bid for the Senate seat being vacated at the end of next year by the retiring GOP incumbent, Sen. George V. Voinovich.
Taylor’s decision to run again for Auditor won’t spare her a difficult race. In most states, Auditor is a sleepy backwater position, but she’s the only statewide GOP officeholder left, and Auditor takes on special importance in Ohio as it (along with SoS) is one of the five spots on the Apportionment Board that draws state legislative districts. With SoS Jennifer Brunner vacating her post, the SoS and Auditor races both take on huge importance if Dems are to dismantle the pro-GOP gerrymander in the state legislature. Luckily, a prominent Dem, Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper, got into the Auditor race this week (although he faces longer odds against Taylor than with an open seat).
Speaking of Brunner, she felt compelled to fire off a letter today to Ohio activists stating that she’s in the Senate race to the bitter end.
“I want to make it clear that under no circumstances will I consider seeking re-election to the secretary of state’s position, or any other statewide or federal office, other than the open U.S. Senate seat of retiring (Republican) Sen. George Voinovich,” Brunner wrote.
Brunner has been lagging Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in fundraising by a substantial margin, even though polls show them performing about equally well against Portman. There’s been behind-the-scenes pressure on Brunner to get out and avoid the divisive primary (and some idle speculation that she might move over to the Lt. Gov. spot being vacated by Fisher, now that Rep. Tim Ryan declined it), but for now she seems determined to stay in the Senate race.
Buckeye State Blog has done a great job digging through the details:
http://www.buckeyestateblog.co…
http://www.buckeyestateblog.co…
To sum it up, Most of Fisher’s donors are maxed out, the money he has earmarked for the primary is actually about 635,000, a huge chunk of that came from his family members and lobbyists. He’s also fired his fund raising director, which might well mean that his fundraising numbers for this cycle aren’t looking too good, and is apparently replacing him with someone who “has a reputation for charging lobbyists to get their clients to bundle contributions to have access to his candidate.”
Thanks to Buckeyestate (and to Ohio Daily Blog, even though I didn’t link to their articles for this one) for digging around on this one.
Buckeye State is challenging the Brunner and Fisher people to put their money where their mouths are. First candidate to 5,000 or the one with the most by Monday wins.
http://www.buckeyestateblog.co…
Why doesn’t she back out and run for Lt. Gov?
Because they are the BETTER candidate!!
i just hope we are not fumbling away all the gains we made in ohio the last 2 elections. we should be looking at a solid blue ohio after 2010.
I’m all for contested primaries, but I think we’d have been better off if Brunner and Fisher had worked out between themselves who was going to run for this seat. We don’t need to waste resources on a divisive primary when the GOP nominee will be exceptionally well-funded.
Whoever decided to take a pass wouldn’t exactly have a bad consolation prize waiting for them, considering Gov. Strickland will be term-limited out of office in 2014 (assuming he wins reelection, which looks likely).
Brown will win SoS and Peppers will run a good enough of a campaign against Taylor (R-Barbieland) to tie up a lot of the Ohio GOP’s dwindling resources.
From jump, it was clear that Fisher would out-raise Brunner. Fisher draws his cash from old money that is more predictable than his opponent. Brunner draws her fund raising from the rank and file and right now two things are working against her: We’re broke. The economy is completely and totally in the dumper. The grass roots just don’t have the dough to contribute.
Secondly is sort of a “hangover” if you will from 2008. People are burned out on “horse race” politics. People went “all in” for Obama. And now, they just don’t see a big difference between Fisher and Brunner.
It will be difficult for Judge Brunner to overcome the institutional advantages that Ted and the ODP will deliver to Fisher in the primary. Ironically, I would guess that she’s the stronger candidate in the general election.
making that statement only makes me want to support her more. I dont know enough about the candidates and I dont really care to research them but I cant help but say, Brunner sure does the have the attitude I’d like to see in a Senator. She’s going to do what she wants to do and is ignoring “whose turn it is”. We’d probably have a whole slew of different Congressmembers if more politics were more like that.