43
Harshman leaving the Valley – with regret
Photo
Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann
Photo
Sandra Stabile Harwood
Michael Harshman envisioned things differently, but he’s making the best of it.
About a year ago, Harshman was angling for an appointment to the Ohio House of Representatives.
Ex-Poland Mayor Ruth Wilkes, his wife, had been hired by then-Attorney General Marc Dann as that office’s grants management director.
Harshman, a Dann confidante and one of the area’s most prominent attorneys, planned to serve in the Legislature and spending more time with Wilkes and Dann in Columbus.
The only thing that stood in the way was seen at the time as a mere formality.
Gov. Ted Strickland was expected to select state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood, D-65th, to a vacancy on the Warren-based 11th District Court of Appeals. Harwood seemed like the ideal choice.
She’s an attorney who had already won three terms to the House and had letters of recommendation from Dann and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, among others.
Harwood was/is looking to find a different government job. State law limits Ohio House members to no more than four consecutive terms. Harwood is running this year for her fourth, and last, term in the House.
During the 2010 election, that House seat will be vacant, and if Harwood wants to stay in state government, she’s going to have to look elsewhere.
If Harwood’s seat was vacant, Harshman, who’s given thousands of dollars over the years to Democrats, was considered a strong favorite to replace her.
Harshman has good name recognition ¬≠— primarily because of his famous “Let’s settle this one” television commercials — and deep pockets to fund a campaign in a heavily Democratic district. That makes him very electable, something the Ohio Democratic House Caucus desires of those appointed to fill unexpired terms in the Legislature.
But a committee selecting the three finalists for the court of appeals job didn’t include Harwood on its list to Strickland.
And that was it for Harshman.
“I liked Marc being attorney general, Ruth working for him and me as a state representative,” Harshman said. “It sounded like a pretty neat deal.”
With Wilkes’ retirement, effective Thursday, from her $75,000-a-year job at the attorney general’s office, nothing that Harshman “liked” currently exists.
Dann resigned under pressure May 14 as the result of a scandal at the attorney general’s office. During Dann’s final days, Harshman was usually by his side providing advice and support.
The two remain close friends and recently traveled to San Francisco, Harshman said.
Wilkes’ retirement was planned for some time this year. It had nothing to do with Dann’s resignation and the turmoil that surrounded [and still surrounds] the former attorney general, Harshman said.
But the Dann controversy certainly made it easier for Wilkes to resign.
“It had an impact on people close to him and not a good impact,” Harshman said.
Harshman also no longer has any political aspirations.
Harshman said his responsibilities at the Betras Harshman law firm “have been diminishing.” David Betras has been running the office for some time, Harshman said. The two merged their firms in 2005.
“I’m not doing much at the law firm,” he said. “David’s driving that bus.”
So it’s a fresh start for the high-profile attorney and the former Poland mayor.
They’re moving to Sarasota, Fla., on Sunday to start a new life.
They’ve sold their home in Columbus and their home in Howland is on the market.
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Harshman and Wilkes — and especially Dann — would be hard-pressed to disagree with that.