6th District: Wilson, Stobbs

6th District: Wilson, Stobbs

Three Republicans are running hard for a chance to take on Charlie Wilson, the Democratic incumbent in the 6th Congressional District, which makes for an interesting primary and should make for a spirited race in November.

Wilson is an interesting combination of a successful businessman and a successful Blue Dog Democrat, who has managed to hold an evenly split district that meanders along the Ohio River, from southern Mahoning County to Lawrence and Scioto counties on the Kentucky border. It is bound to be a November battleground.

Wilson, 67, wins our endorsement for the Democratic nomination hands down against Jim Renner, 52, North Benton building contractor making his first run for public office. His interview with Vindicator editors showed him to be far better at describing problems than providing specific remedies.

Wilson has voted with the Democratic leadership on Health Care and against it on Cap and Trade, and says the common denominator is that he has voted for the best interest of the people in his district.

On the other side

His potential opponents in the Republican primary would disagree. They are: Bill Johnson, 55, of Poland, a retired Air Force officer who now works in information technology; Dr. Donald K. Allen, 63, of Boardman, a veterinarian and officer in the Air Force Reserves, and Richard D. Stobbs, 63, of Dillonvale, a Franklin County deputy recorder, farmer and former Belmont County sheriff.

November promises to be an interesting race. While Johnson, Allen and Stobbs are running against each other now, they tend to talk more about Wilson than their primary opponents.

Allen ran a quixotic campaign for president in 2008, but says he’ll run hard against Wilson and will do what it takes to win. Since before he was a candidate, Johnson has been pushing the idea of seasonal sales-tax holidays that would spur sales, as well as save people money. It’s an interesting idea, but one that would better serve a candidate for the General Assembly. Stobbs says his experience running for Wilson’s seat in the past, even if unsuccessfully, gives him name recognition that will serve him well in 2010.

We’re endorsing Stobbs, based on his pragmatic, grass-roots approach and his years of working the 12-county 6th District. But if he wins, he’s going to have to take his pragmatism to a new level, because he’ll need a lot more than his projected $300,000 war chest to beat an experienced and savvy incumbent.

There will be two other candidates in the November race, Libertarian Martin J. Elsass of Columbiana and Constitution Paryt candidate Richard E. Cadle of North Jackson.