Hagan counts on Valley voters

Tim Hagan hopes strong voter turnout in the Mahoning Valley can help him defeat Gov. Bob Taft.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Tim Hagan, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, came home the day before the biggest election in his life.
Hagan, a former Cuyahoga County commissioner who was born and reared in the Mahoning Valley, spent Monday, the day before the election, campaigning in Northeast Ohio.
His stops included the United Auto Workers Local 1112 retirees luncheon at the union hall in North Jackson; Western Reserve Middle School in Warren to talk to a fifth-grade class taught by Maggie Hagan, his sister; and the Lordstown General Motors plant to talk to employees during the afternoon shift change.
Hagan is banking on a strong turnout in the Democrat-dominated Mahoning Valley to assist him in his underdog campaign against Bob Taft, the well-financed Republican incumbent.
Hagan has spent a considerable amount of time in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in recent weeks, including three visits in the past eight days.
"This is a contest with a clear choice," Hagan told UAW retirees. "Where do we stand? Can these people buy this election? We've got a contest that we can win."
Taft's campaign
Taft didn't come to the Valley on Monday, although he has made several trips here recently, including one Saturday. He spent his time campaigning in his hometown of Cincinnati as well as Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Cleveland. The Toledo and Cleveland stops are in areas expected to strongly support Hagan.
Orest Holubec, Taft's campaign spokesman, said the stops are an attempt to neutralize Hagan in his stronghold areas.
Statewide polls have Taft comfortably ahead of Hagan, but neither candidate puts much stock in the results.
Hagan told the UAW retirees that if he wins, it will "send a message for 2004. In 2004, we're going to tell George Bush to go home. He's done too much to hurt the economy."
Also at the luncheon, Jim Graham, UAW Local 1112 president, implored those in attendance to vote for Democrats.
"If Tim Hagan and his slate get 70 percent [of the vote] from here, it's a huge catalyst for them," he said.
But after the speech, Graham told The Vindicator that he doesn't hold out much hope for Democrats on the statewide level because Republicans are better able to raise money, and therefore can get their message out to a larger audience better than Democrats.
Fund-raising differences
"This race [for governor] and a lot of other races would have been tighter if the Democrats raised more money," Graham said. "Republicans are smart enough to know they have to start raising money for the next election the day after this Election Day. Democrats wait until four months before an election to start raising money."
Graham said Taft was exceptionally helpful when it came to offering a state package of incentives to keep General Motors in Lordstown, but he has been a failure on nearly every other issue.
"There's education funding and supporting organized labor by fighting plans to make Ohio a right-to-work state," Graham added.
skolnick@vindy.com