After an easy win, Strickland faces challenge of governing

The victory of Ted Strickland, Ohio's first Democratic governor in 16 years, was no surprise Tuesday, and it was no surprise that in his victory speech he called on Democrats and Republicans to work together to make a difference in the lives of Ohioans.
Strickland set the tone for his administration during a campaign that was most remarkable for the stridency and nastiness of his opponent, Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell.
Ohio voters responded in overwhelming fashion, giving Strickland a winning margin of nearly 2-to-1. The margin was even higher in the Mahoning Valley, with Mahoning County voting 3-to-1 for Strickland.
That margin reflects Strickland's ties to the Valley -- he was an attentive congressman after the 6th Congressional District that he represented was redrawn to include all of Columbiana County and some of Mahoning County.
The focal point of Strickland's campaign was his call to & quot;Turnaround Ohio, & quot; a plan aimed at keeping the jobs the state has by investing in the state's strengths and educating the next generation so that the state can attract the jobs of the future.
Strickland is committed to Gov. Bob Taft's Third Frontier high technology initiative, and he has said he will work to see that the Mahoning Valley gets its fair share of research and development dollars.
Strickland supports expansion of the Youngstown Business Incubator and the development of the Youngstown Technology Center, both of which are important to the city and the Valley.
Strickland said Tuesday that it is time to put aside political disagreements and to work to create jobs, improve schools and provide a health-care plan in the state.
The challenge ahead
Putting aside disagreements and finding common ground is easier said than done. Although it appears most of the other elected state offices will be held by Democrats, the Republicans will maintain control of the General Assembly.
Strickland's victory can be attributed to a number of factors, including the campaign he conducted. He also profited from voter dissatisfaction with corruption, the most dramatic example being the scandal involving Republican operative Tom Noe's access to 50 million in Bureau of Workers' Compensation funds. And, despite the dominance of Republicans on the state level over the last four elections, Ohio remains a purple state. It gave George W. Bush a narrow victory two years ago and appears to have been caught up this year in the backlash against mishandling of the war in Iraq.
Those factors -- along with strong skepticism by voters toward Blackwell's plan to raise development money by leasing the Ohio Turnpike to private interests -- explain Strickland's margin of victory. But because so many disparate factors combined to give Strickland a victory, it is essential that he take office in January with plans for moving the state ahead that are not only specific, but are also politically feasible.
Governing, as is often the case, will be more difficult than winning.