Dems in lower-ticket statewide races may face trouble

By David Skolnick

Democrats took majority control of the executive branch of state government in 2006 for the first time in 16 years.

Also, Ted Strickland was the first Democrat elected governor since Richard Celeste in 1986.

Democrats gained control of the Ohio House in 2008 for the first time since losing it 14 years earlier.

Last year was also a strong one for Democrats nationwide.

That should make next year’s statewide election a clean sweep for Democrats.

Trouble brewing

But there are signs that Democrats could be in trouble when it comes to the lower-ticket statewide races.

First, there is the huge turnover in the 2010 statewide Democratic candidate slate from the lineup that brought them great success in 2006.

Among the Democrats running next year for statewide office, only Gov. Strickland is seeking re-election to the seat he won in 2006.

And even Strickland’s lieutenant governor will be different. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher is running for the U.S. Senate.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is not running for re-election and will face Fisher in the party’s May 2010 primary for the Senate seat.

Marc Dann, elected in 2006 as attorney general, resigned last year.

Richard Cordray, elected treasurer in 2006, vacated that post and won last year’s special election for attorney general and will seek re-election next year.

Strickland selected Kevin L. Boyce, a Columbus city councilman, to fill the treasurer’s position.

The lone Republican to win an executive branch election in 2006 was Auditor Mary Taylor, who is running for another four-year term in 2010.

While Republicans will run credible candidates for governor and attorney general, Strickland and Cordray should be considered favorites, at least for now, to be re-elected next year.

The concern for Democrats should be the races for secretary of state, treasurer and auditor.

Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper is the Democratic candidate of choice for auditor against Taylor. Pepper is serving his first term as county commissioner and spent four years on Cincinnati City Council.

When asked about his lack of experience as an auditor, Pepper said, “Leadership in government is what matters the most” in a good statewide candidate. As auditor “you need to be cost-efficient and cost-effective.”

Pepper is going to face an uphill battle to beat Taylor.

As for the treasurer’s race, incumbency won’t help Boyce.

Hardly anyone knows who he is. The upside is state Rep. Josh Mandel, the leading Republican candidate for treasurer, is also virtually unknown.

Boyce’s campaign strategy? “Our motto is ‘the best politics is doing a good job,’” he said.

That’s not going to cut it.

How about qualifications?

Boyce points to his time serving as chairman of council’s finance committee as a key qualification.

If Columbus is like every other major city, its finance department and not the chairman of its council finance committee handles the major money issues.

It’s not like Mandel has much financial experience either.

This race will be up for grabs.

Opening for GOP

Brunner would have been a slam-dunk as far as being re-elected next year, but with her decision to run for the U.S. Senate, that’s another seat that Republicans could capture.

The leading Republican candidate is state Sen. Jon Husted, the former speaker of the Ohio House.

The Democrats haven’t settled on a secretary of state candidate yet.

Marilyn Brown, a Franklin County commissioner in her first term, plans to run. There’s also the possibility that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason could enter that race.

Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern understands statewide campaigning needs to be done now.

“We have to get our message out sooner rather than later,” he said during a Youngstown campaign stop with Pepper.

Redfern is confident that the Democrats have strong candidates and a solid message.

Ohio Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine feels the same about Republicans.

“We’ll have as strong a slate [in 2010] than we’ve fielded in a generation,” DeWine said. “The Democrats will have their advantages, incumbency in some instances. But there are leading indicators that Republicans will be able to gain back the ground we lost.”