Friday, May 27, 2005
The gubernatorial candidate is touting his vision for the state.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
SALEM -- Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, running in next year's Republican gubernatorial primary, said a mean-spirited campaign would leave the winner battered and beaten, and vulnerable to the Democratic candidate.
"An aggressive Republican primary with candidates attacking each other will weaken the winner," he told The Vindicator before delivering a speech at Thursday's Columbiana County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Timberlanes.
Petro and the two other statewide Republican officeholders running for governor next year -- Auditor Betty Montgomery and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell -- have kept it mostly clean so far.
"I don't want to sound too confident, but I'm going to win," Petro said. "When I've run for office, I've talked about what I'll do when elected with specificity. A candidate wins by advancing new ideas."
Plans
Among Petro's plans are to reduce the state's 22 cabinet departments to nine, and to eliminate more than 11,000 state workers over an 18- to 24-month period through attrition and early-retirement incentives to save the state more than $1 billion annually.
The primary won't be easy, but Petro said the bigger challenge is defeating the Democratic nominee in the November 2006 election.
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman are the two announced Democratic gubernatorial candidates.
Petro, a former Cuyahoga County commissioner, said northeast Ohio will be one of his strong areas. Petro received more votes in the 2002 general election in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties than either Blackwell or Montgomery.
Montgomery was the top vote-getter among Republican candidates statewide in 1998 and 2002.
Even though Petro is the top law enforcement official in Ohio, nearly 70 percent of the state's elected Republican sheriffs -- including Columbiana Sheriff Dave Smith, who attended Thursday's dinner -- endorsed Montgomery this week. Montgomery served eight years as attorney general, but couldn't run for re-election in 2002 because of the state's term limits law.
"It doesn't surprise me," Petro said of the sheriffs' endorsements. "Betty built great relationships with sheriffs for eight years."
Petro said he may have alienated some county sheriffs because he doesn't focus as much attention on them as Montgomery did. But Petro said he expects to get the state Fraternal Order of Police endorsement.
Commitments
Also, Petro said he has commitments of support for his campaign from more than half of the state's 88 county Republican chairs, and more than half of the Republican members of the state Legislature.
Petro said he would hold formal announcements on the endorsements later in the campaign.
But Petro said he is endorsed by Columbiana GOP Chairman Jerry Ward and Trumbull GOP Chairman Craig Bonar. Mahoning Republican Chairman Clarence Smith isn't endorsing a candidate. Petro said he also has the support of chairs in Seneca, Erie, Medina, Delaware, Cuyahoga and several other counties.
Ward expressed his support for Petro at Thursday's dinner. Also, Dave Johnson -- the former Columbiana Republican chairman who is also a state central committeeman and one of the state's most influential Republicans -- strongly endorsed Petro.
Petro is making numerous stops in the state's 88 counties to raise money and garner support for his campaign.
Fund-raiser
A private fund-raiser before Thursday's Lincoln Day Dinner netted $12,000 for Petro, who has raised the most money of any of the Republican gubernatorial candidates. Petro said his campaign has raised close to $3 million.
While Petro has raised more money than Blackwell and Montgomery, polls show him trailing the two. Petro said his plan is to have enough money to increase his name recognition and get his message out to voters before the May 2006 primary.
Apparently the Lincoln Day Dinners are becoming somewhat of a blur for Petro. He told reporters this year's Lincoln Day Dinner was his 16th, and he told those in attendance it was his 15th. Petro is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Mahoning County Republican Organization's first Reagan Dinner on June 28.
skolnick@vindy.com