For Fisher, U.S. Senate race is all about jobs

By David Skolnick

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, said his top priority is “jobs and the economy.”

“No issue is more important than jobs,” Fisher said in an interview with me earlier this week. “It’s the main issue I’ve focused on in the past three years” as lieutenant governor.

That led me to ask if jobs are so important, why did Fisher resign as head of the Ohio Department of Development about 11 months ago primarily to focus on his Senate campaign?

“I haven’t left the fight for economic development,” he said. “My work has never stopped. I’m just not in charge of the Department of Development. My role continues to be the economic point person for businesses in Ohio.”

Fisher said leaving the DOD was beneficial toward his work on the economy in a state that has experienced a large spike in unemployment.

“I’m able to focus my attention on the nuts and bolts of economic development,” he said. “I don’t have to deal with the day-to-day management of the department. In some ways it’s a benefit.”

Fisher said not leading the DOD has “freed me up to do more work.”

Such as?

“Most of the projects are behind the scenes, confidential negotiations and I’m not allowed to discuss them at this time,” he said. “Until we publicly announce something we don’t talk about ongoing negotiations.”

Fisher pointed to a few economic development deals in which he was involved. Most of the examples were reactionary to companies that either shut down its business in Ohio, scaled back or considered leaving the state.

Fisher also said he and Gov. Ted Strickland go to Detroit four times a year to discuss with leaders at the Big Three automakers what can be done to keep existing plants in Ohio, possibly expand and hopefully open new ones in the state. The latter is unlikely to happen any time soon.

Fisher pointed to the General Motors complex in Lordstown as a success story. The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars preparing the facility for the Chevrolet Cruze.

While “we’re proud of our success at Lordstown, the Mahoning Valley needs more than one crowned jewel,” Fisher said.

Fisher said workers in Ohio need to be retrained for the “jobs of the future” in high-tech and green energy fields. He said companies at the Youngstown Business Incubator are great success stories.

Fisher will face Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the May Democratic primary.

Fisher has raised considerably more money than Brunner. Even so, most polls show the two in a statistical dead-heat with a large undecided vote.

“There are many factors that contribute to a successful campaign,” he said. “Having the financial resources to get your message out statewide is important. So is a strong grass-roots organization, a strong compelling message and the experience to back it up.”

Fisher said he has all of those attributes.

Rather than Brunner, Fisher said his focus is defeating Rob Portman, the leading Republican candidate for the Senate seat.

Portman is a former congressman who served as George W. Bush’s United States trade representative and director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Fisher called Portman “one of the chief architects of the Bush trade policies” that led to the national recession.

Fisher was quick to give a laundry list of what he perceived as Portman’s liabilities.

When asked about his biggest liability, Fisher said, “That’s a very good question. I don’t have a great answer. I’m not perfect. I’m sure I’ve made mistakes. But I’m proud no one’s worked harder for the people of Ohio. If I’m judged on my experience, my record and my platform, I will win this election.”