Capri Cafaro insists she's no 'Paris Hilton'

Some see Capri Cafaro as a young, rich woman who's interested in politics, and, along with her father, is trying to buy the 32nd Ohio Senate District seat.
"It's easy to judge me as just another Paris Hilton," she acknowledges.
Her family is wealthy and politically well-connected, but that hasn't helped Cafaro achieve her goal of being a member of Congress. She unsuccessfully ran for the 14th Congressional District seat in 2004 and lost the Democratic primary this past May for the 13th Congressional District.
She won the 2004 Democratic primary for the 14th District, but was trounced in the general election by U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, a Concord Republican. Cafaro spent about 1.6 million of her own money on the race and received only 37.25 percent of the vote. The congressional district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County and all of Ashtabula County.
One major reason Cafaro cites for wanting to replace Attorney General-elect Marc Dann in the 32nd Ohio Senate District, which takes in all of Trumbull and Ashtabula, is to help the people in those two counties. Based on the 2004 general election results, voters don't have much interest in her help. While winning those counties in a five-candidate Democratic primary, she received only 39.43 percent of the Trumbull vote in the general election and 45.33 percent in Ashtabula in the general election.
Cafaro spent about 1 million in her failed bid to win the Democratic primary this past May in the 13th District, just west of the 14th District. She finished second in an eight-person primary with 24.88 percent of the vote, losing each of the district's four counties to U.S. Rep.-elect Betty Sutton.
Cafaro helped Dann's attorney general campaign, speaking on his behalf at events. While she contributed no money to Dann's campaign, her family gave him 30,500 for this race.
Comments made by state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, that J.J. Cafaro is passing "out a lot of money to the caucus and to individual members" in an effort to help his daughter get the appointment leaves some with the impression that the spot is for sale to the highest bidder. Ohio Senate members were quick to say campaign contributions don't play a factor in filling vacancies.
Also, Dann's endorsement of Cafaro makes some wonder why he's involving himself in the race.
U.S. Rep.-elect Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville is vacating his state Senate seat sometime late next month. Among those looking to replace him is his son, Jason. While there is no doubt the outgoing senator would love to see his son succeed him, he isn't on record endorsing Jason.
Dann, Hagan and others say Cafaro is the most qualified person to fill the vacancy and is the most electable. While you don't need to be a rocket scientist or a college graduate or even previously employed to serve in the state Legislature, how could someone who's never been elected be the most electable candidate?
Also in the race is state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, D-65th, who won her third term in the Ohio House this month. Ex-state Sen. Anthony A. Latell Jr. of Girard, who held that position for eight years and is a former state House member and Trumbull commissioner, is another candidate.
While being a state senator isn't what Cafaro envisioned for herself -- she said Dann convinced her to run -- she'll settle for it, and plans to run for a full four-year term in 2008 if appointed to the vacancy. Being an Ohio House member is out of the question, she said. There was an offer for Cafaro to step aside for Stabile Harwood and take the state representative seat, but she rejected the scenario.
The incoming 10-member Democratic Senate Caucus will decide Nov. 28 who will replace Dann. When 321,366 people had the opportunity to vote for her in the 2004 general election race for the 14th Congressional District seat, most said no. When 67,973 people voted in the May primary for the 13th District, less than 25 percent said yes.
All Cafaro needs Nov. 28 is six votes.