Petro: I will come back against Ken Blackwell
The attorney general calls his opponent 'an extreme right-winger.'
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Even though polls -- including his own -- show him trailing Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell in the 2006 Republican gubernatorial race, Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro said he'll be the comeback kid.
Petro told The Vindicator on Monday that he's optimistic he'll catch Blackwell, but acknowledged he has a tough primary next May. The other statewide officeholder seeking the Republican nomination is Auditor Betty Montgomery.
Polls show Blackwell leading Petro and Montgomery on the Republican side, typically by at least 10 percent. Petro said he has no intention of quitting the race, something that Montgomery has also repeatedly said.
"If Betty were to not stay in the race, it would be a totally different ball game," Petro said.
If he faced Blackwell one on one, Petro said he would win, and believes he can still do so with the three in the race.
Petro said Blackwell is "an extreme right-winger who can't win in Ohio." If Blackwell is the Republican nominee, Petro said he would lose to U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, in the November 2006 general election.
Petro said he thinks Strickland will beat Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman and former state Rep. Bryan Flannery in the May 2006 Democratic primary.
Petro said he would support Blackwell in next year's general election if the secretary of state wins the Republican primary, but his heart wouldn't be in it.
Petro said his campaign's polling numbers show Blackwell with about 31 percent of the vote, and the attorney general with about 21 percent of the vote.
Hits the airwaves
Trying to jump-start his campaign, Petro started airing television commercials throughout the state about two weeks ago.
"I'm the only candidate talking about real issues," he said. "It was critical I did something."
Blackwell's name identification is nearly 100 percent, Petro said, because the secretary of state used state money to appear in TV ads last year showing people how to vote. Petro pegged his statewide name ID at 75 percent to 80 percent.
When told of Petro's statements, Gene Pierce, a Blackwell campaign spokesman, said the attorney general "sounds like he's being pretty negative...I'd say it's desperation for him to come out this negative this soon. He's spending half his money now on ads. He's wasting his money as far as we're concerned."
Robert A. Paduchik, Petro's election chairman, said that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was way ahead in Democratic presidential polls at one time and didn't make it out of the primary.
Pierce said Petro "flip-flops" on issues.
For example, Petro changed his position on abortion, becoming pro-life about five years ago, Pierce said.
Also, Petro was told by federal officials last year that there were problems with Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation investments and Petro did nothing, Pierce said. Then Petro changed his mind and acknowledged there was a problem, Pierce said.
Petro said a majority of Republican state legislators who are supporting a candidate in next year's gubernatorial primary are with him, and now he has to get the message out that he is the party's most viable candidate for the post.
Part of their platforms
One of the keys to a successful campaign, Petro said, is receiving the Franklin County Republican Party endorsement, something that should be announced shortly. Petro has the endorsement of other county Republican parties, most notably Cuyahoga County, where he lives.
Petro is touting his economic plan, the Citizens' Amendment for Prosperity, to control government spending and cap taxes. Blackwell has a Tax Expenditure Limitation initiative that he says will do the same thing. The two disagree as to which plan is more effective.
Both plans are expected on the November 2006 ballot as constitutional amendments.
Montgomery dismisses both plans, saying effective public policy and hard-nosed leadership is needed in Ohio and not constitutional amendments.
skolnick@vindy.com