OHIO LEGISLATURE Blasdel to get No. 2 post in House

Two other Valley legislators are poised to assume leadership roles.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ohio House Republican Caucus will appoint on Tuesday state Rep. Charles Blasdel of East Liverpool as speaker pro tempore, the No. 2 position in the legislative body.
Also, two Mahoning Valley Democrats -- state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown and state Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown -- are poised to assume leadership spots in their party.
Incoming House Speaker Jon Husted of Kettering, R-37th, told The Vindicator on Saturday that Blasdel, R-1st, will be elected by the caucus to the high-ranking position. Husted said he sent a letter a few days ago to House Republicans supporting Blasdel for the post.
"He's demonstrated a lot of leadership in the General Assembly," Husted said of Blasdel. "He's an intelligent person, and a great addition to our leadership team as we push through an aggressive agenda to revitalize Ohio's economy. It's a good thing for the Mahoning Valley. It's been a long time since that area had a leader in the majority."
First in a while
Blasdel would be the first House member from the Mahoning Valley to rise to such a position of power since state Rep. John F. Cantwell, a Mahoning County Democrat, served a two-year term as House speaker beginning in 1949. The last person from Columbiana County in such a high-ranking spot in the House was Joseph Richardson, who served five one-year terms as speaker -- 1818, 1819, 1820, 1822 and 1823.
In the Senate, Harry Meshel of Youngstown served as president from 1983-85.
As the House's No. 2 man, Blasdel will fill in for Husted in his absence, help shape the legislative body's policies, and serve as vice chairman of the House Rules and Reference Committee that dictates the legislative schedule.
"The most important thing is when major issues such as the budget or placing items on the House agenda are determined, I'll have a seat at the table," Blasdel said. "I'll also be able to be a voice for the Mahoning Valley in House leadership."
Blasdel sought the speaker's position, but abandoned his bid in September 2003 when it became apparent that Husted had the votes to beat him. Husted praised Blasdel for withdrawing from the race, and said he wants the legislator working side-by-side with him because they share a common vision to improve Ohio.
Close race
Blasdel was re-elected to the House seat that represents Columbiana County by 495 votes last week defeating Democrat Frank Rayl Jr., a political newcomer, in a surprisingly close race, according to unofficial results.
There are 1,084 uncounted provisional votes in Columbiana County. But Rayl would need an overwhelming majority of the provisional votes to win.
Mahoning Valley legislators said they are pleased that Republicans will pick Blasdel as speaker pro tempore because it will help the area.
"I think it's a good spot for him and the Valley," said state Rep. Sylvester D. Patton Jr. of Youngstown, D-60th. "This is good for our delegation. We'll have a direct link to the speaker."
Boccieri
Boccieri, D-61st, said he is interested in returning to Democratic House leadership. Boccieri served a year as assistant minority whip, the No. 4 position for a House Democrat, resigning in January because he was called to active military duty. Boccieri is a major and pilot in the Air Force Reserve, and has done two tours of duty this year in the Middle East.
Boccieri needs to find out if he will be called to active military duty again next year, and how often, before deciding to reclaim a leadership position. But Boccieri said he wants to run for minority whip, the No. 3 spot, or perhaps assistant minority whip. House Democrats say Boccieri has the votes to win either post.
If Boccieri ran for whip, he would probably be challenged by state Rep. Lance T. Mason of Shaker Heights, D-8th, who replaced him as assistant minority whip in January. Boccieri beat Mason for the assistant post in 2003, and is confident he could beat him for whip if it comes down to that. Also interested in the whip position is state Rep. Steve Driehaus of Cincinnati, D-31st.
House Democrats will meet Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss leadership positions, and will vote on either Nov. 15 or 16, Boccieri said.
Hagan
On the Senate side, Hagan, D-33rd, is expected to be appointed assistant minority whip, the body's No. 4 Democratic position.
With three Valley legislators poised to assume leadership positions, Hagan said it is a good sign that the area will get more attention, assistance and money from the state.
"We can talk about the issues important to this area: Economic development and job opportunities," he said. "All of us working together in a bipartisan way can really help this area."
skolnick@vindy.com