DAVID SKOLNICK | Politics Hamilton Co. scandal spices up Ohio races

It's amazing what kind of impact a sex scandal in the Hamilton County prosecutor's office can have on Ohio politics and the presidential election.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Michael Allen, a Republican rising star with statewide office aspirations, admitted last month he had an extramarital relationship with an employee; the employee sued Allen saying he sexually harassed her for years.
It's certainly politically damaging, but there have been other politicians who've acknowledged they cheated on their wives without much fallout.
But things are different in this situation.
Besides being a county prosecutor, Allen also served as chairman of the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign's southwest Ohio region. In other words, at least in name alone, Allen was running the Bush-Cheney campaign in the most Republican region of one of -- if not the most -- important battleground states in the November election. Recent polls show President Bush pulling ahead of Democrat John Kerry in Ohio, but Republicans don't want to take any chances.
It's apparently all right for Bush to admit tipping a few too many years ago and for Vice President Dick Cheney to use a vulgarity in telling off a U.S. senator, but Allen's inability to keep his pants zipped is the kiss of death.
As soon as the scandal broke, state and national GOP officials went into damage control. They pressured Allen, who faced no opposition, to not seek re-election in November. He complied.
Then the Republicans needed someone to replace him as a write-in candidate. Enter Ohio Treasurer Joseph T. Deters, who served as Hamilton prosecutor before Allen. Deters was among five people to file as write-in candidates for Allen's job, and undoubtedly will win the election.
Since 2002, Deters has eyed the 2006 Ohio attorney general's seat. But he isn't exactly squeaky clean. He survived an investigation into the conduct of his office; something Republicans say was politically motivated. The investigation led to the convictions of his former chief of staff and an ex-aide.
State and national Republican officials pressured Deters to bail them out of the Allen mess by returning to his old job. He complied.
Speculation is that Deters' dream of being state attorney general is over. That is certainly a strong possibility. His supporters say he is doing what's best for his party and president, and running as a prosecutor from one of the state's largest counties gives him better positioning to run for attorney general in 2006.
GOP insiders say the party doesn't want Deters and/or outgoing Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, in the middle of his own fund-raising scandal and criminal investigation, on the ticket because they could drag down the other Republican candidates.
Householder, who can't run for the Ohio House because of the state's term limits law, wants to be state auditor in 2006. He is running in November for auditor of Perry County, which has fewer residents than Boardman. Several Republican House members say they won't miss Householder, known for his strong-arm fund-raising practices.
Allen plans to finish the rest of his term, which expires in January. If, as expected, Deters wins the write-in campaign, he'll resign in January from the treasurer's office.
Lt. Gov. Jennette Bradley caught wind of the Allen-Deters switch, probably at the recent Republican National Convention, and trumped everyone by announcing last week she would run for treasurer in 2006. Political insiders say the announcement floored Gov. Bob Taft.
Who succeeds Deters is up to Taft, who has little choice but to name his lieutenant governor or risk a huge embarrassment by saying Bradley, who has an extensive financial background, isn't qualified for the job.
Another person interested in the job was Ann Womer Benjamin, the state's insurance director who unsuccessfully ran in 2002 for the 17th Congressional District seat that takes in much of the Youngstown-Warren area. If Bradley is appointed, she's the GOP candidate for the job in 2006.
State GOP insiders say Womer Benjamin has the inside track on replacing Bradley as lieutenant governor. Other names are out there, but Womer Benjamin, who plans to run statewide in 2006, is the odds-on favorite. It's a great position for her because of the higher-profile position and the ability to raise money for the 2006 election immediately.
Womer Benjamin will probably look to run in '06 for secretary of state with attorney general or auditor as other possibilities.