Several from Valley to run

Experts debate the value of having a Democratic candidate concentration.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The potential of having four Democratic statewide candidates on the 2006 ticket from the Mahoning Valley is a benefit, the candidates say.
But some Republicans say that having many Valley Democrats on next year's ballot will help get GOP candidates elected.
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, is one of three Democrats who've announced plans to run for governor. Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon of Boardman is the only announced Democratic state auditor candidate.
Today, state Rep. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, is to declare his candidacy for attorney general. The only announced Democratic attorney general candidate to date is Subodh Chandra, a former Cleveland law director.
Also, state Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-61st, is considering whether to run for Ohio secretary of state, the 6th Congressional District seat or for the Ohio Senate 33rd District position next year. Jennifer Brunner of Franklin County is the only announced Democratic candidate for secretary of state.
Republican perspective
If the Valley candidates emerge from the primary as the Democratic candidates for state office, it would help Republicans, said Columbiana County GOP Chairman Jerry J. Ward.
"It would hurt their ticket to have most of their candidates come from one area while Republicans would have candidates from throughout the state," he said. "Candidates from a variety of locations helps draw people from throughout the state to the polls."
In 2002, all but one of the Democratic statewide candidates for governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and treasurer were from Cuyahoga County. All of the Democratic candidates lost to Republicans that year.
"The Democrats didn't see much potential in winning any of the races in 2002 and couldn't get well-known candidates to run," said Paul Sracic, a Youngstown State University political science professor. "That isn't the case in 2006."
Though there have been a handful of Valley statewide candidates over the past two decades, none of them met with success.
Unworried
Northeast Ohio -- particularly the Mahoning Valley and Cuyahoga County -- is the Democratic power base in the state, so it's logical to have statewide candidates from the Valley, said Brian Rothenberg, Ohio Democratic Party spokesman.
"I don't see it as an obstacle," Rothenberg said of having many Valley Democrats run next year for state office.
The Valley statewide hopefuls also don't see a problem.
"Voters are looking for strong, credible candidates, and we have them in the Valley," Reardon said. "It won't be about geography as much as it will be about quality candidates."
Strickland, who moved to Lisbon from the southern part of the state in early 2003, said he doesn't see many Valley candidates on the ballot as a detriment to the Democratic ticket next year.
"We're running because we have the qualifications and skills for the jobs," he said. "I don't think it will be viewed as an effort from one region to insert an unhealthy influence over the state. Having many candidates coming from the Mahoning Valley could result in a very healthy voter turnout in a general election from this area."
An above-average voter turnout in the Valley in the primary and general elections would help Democratic candidates, Strickland said.
Sracic agrees with the Democrats that having as many as four Valley candidates won't hurt their election chances. The bigger problems, he said, include the lack of statewide name recognition for Reardon and Boccieri and the struggles those two and Dann could face raising money to run because of the high-profile gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races that will eat up most of the Democratic money.
skolnick@vindy.com