Gains for secretary of state? Don’t laugh

By David Skolnick

There were definitely a few people who laughed when I reported that Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains was giving strong consideration to running next year in the Democratic primary for Ohio secretary of state.

After all, Gains doesn’t look or act like a polished politician, primarily because he isn’t.

He’s a former Youngstown cop who smokes smelly cigars and is known to speak his mind regardless of the consequences.

Despite the real and perceived shortcomings of Gains (and what politician doesn’t have shortcomings?) if Gains decides to run for secretary of state and can raise the $3 million to $5 million needed to be competitive he is, at least to me, the candidate to beat in the Democratic primary.

And if he’s unable to raise the money, he probably won’t run.

Democrats believed they had the 2010 secretary of state race in the win column a year ago. But Jennifer Brunner, who holds the position, decided not to seek re-election and is vying for seat in the U.S. Senate. She and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher are the two top Democratic candidates for that office; something that has caused tremendous headaches for Democratic leaders.

Two Democrats have announced their candidacy for secretary of state:

U Franklin County Commis-sioner Marilyn Brown. She’s in her first term as county commissioner, elected in 2006. That is the extent of her elected political experience.

U State Rep. Jennifer Garrison of Marietta, the Ohio House’s majority floor leader, serving her third two-year term. She represents Guernsey, Monroe and Noble counties. Those four-plus years are the extent of her elected political experience.

Even with her limited elected experience and the Democratic primary not until May 2010, Garrison and her supporters pulled off something impressive a few days ago. She received the endorsements of 35 elected officials, including several from the Mahoning Valley.

Among those on the list are: Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro of Liberty, Senate Assistant Minority Whip Jason Wilson of Columbiana, and state Reps. Ronald Gerberry of Austintown, Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, Linda Bolon of Columbiana, and Tom Letson of Warren.

She also is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, who represents all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County, including Gains’ hometown of Boardman.

So how can Gains win?

First is his compelling story that attracted national attention, and would draw people to his candidacy. It’s cool that Attorney General Richard Cordray is a five-time Jeopardy! champion, but he was never the target of a mob hit.

In December 1996, a month after Gains won his first four-year term as prosecutor, local mob figures ordered a hit on him in an attempt to keep him from taking office. Gains was wounded in the shooting at his home.

Second, he was first elected to office as prosecutor of Mahoning County, one of the most important counties for Democrats in Ohio, 13 years ago and has more elected experience than Brown and Garrison combined.

Third, if you look at the Democratic statewide ticket, you won’t find anyone from Northeast Ohio. (Fisher is from Cuyahoga County, but he is running for a federal office.) This section of Ohio is the most Democratic in the state, and a large reason why Democrats did so well in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

A lack of a Northeast Ohio candidate on the 2010 Democratic statewide ticket would hurt the party’s chances. If not Gains, then who?