OHIO Speaker endorses ex-commissioner

Householder said a former Valley legislator hadn't approached him about the secretary of state race.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has endorsed former Cuyahoga County commissioner Lee Weingart as Republican candidate for secretary of state.
In announcing his endorsement Thursday, Householder, R-Glenford, bypassed veteran state Rep. Ann Womer Benjamin, a Portage County Republican, and former state Rep. Ron Hood, a Mahoning County Republican, both of whom have said they're running for the office.
Householder said he thinks Weingart's experience as a former commissioner, as a business executive and with technology provided the best background to be the state's chief elections officer.
Current Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, has said he intends to run for state treasurer next year, leaving the office open.
Other candidates: Other than Womer Benjamin and Hood, other potential Republican candidates weren't immediately known. But at least two Democrats, state Rep. Bryan Flannery of Northeast Ohio and Charleta Tavares, a Columbus city councilwoman, have expressed interest in the office, state Democratic Party officials have said.
Feb. 21 is the filing deadline. The primary is May 7.
Weingart declined to say specifically how much money his campaign had raised so far. He expected needing at least $750,000 to $1 million if there is a contested primary and twice that for the general election.
"I'm in this race to do something," said Weingart, who served as Cuyahoga commissioner from 1995 to 1997.
Since leaving the county commissioner's post, Weingart has held leadership positions with technology companies, most recently with Brulant, which has headquarters in Cleveland.
If elected, Weingart said he would try to make more services available over the Internet, seek to reform the state's voting systems and try to boost community involvement and civic participation by working with youth.
Confident of support: Womer Benjamin of Aurora said she is undeterred by Householder's support for Weingart.
"I have worked with the speaker. I think we have a great working relationship, but he's entitled to his opinion," Womer Benjamin said of Householder.
Womer Benjamin said she has great support among other Republicans in the Legislature and has Republican Ohio Attorney General Betty D. Montgomery as chairwoman of her exploratory committee.
Womer Benjamin said she expects to formally announce her candidacy for secretary of state next week in appearances across the state.
"The support and response so far has been very positive," said Womer Benjamin.
She said her fund raising has been "going very well" but didn't elaborate.
Weighing in: Householder said his support of Weingart wasn't related to Womer Benjamin's past support to a political rival of Householder for speaker. Householder said he thought Weingart to be a better fit for secretary of state.
"She certainly has been a great political ally for our caucus," Householder said, noting that Womer Benjamin had retained her seat on the powerful, budget-writing House Finance and Appropriations Committee and had retained her role as chairwoman of the House Criminal Justice Committee.
Householder said he thought Womer Benjamin would be a good candidate for another office such as the Ohio Supreme Court.
Householder said Womer Benjamin, who cannot run for the House next year because of term limits, had approached him about supporting her candidacy. Hood, who was defeated by state Rep. John A. Boccieri, D-New Middletown, last year, hadn't approached him for support.
Hood couldn't be reached immediately to comment Thursday.