By Joe Vardon

By Joe Vardon

Columbus Dispatch

COLUMBUS

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ed FitzGerald’s campaign confirmed Friday that it is diverting money back to the Ohio Democratic Party’s “field and voter turnout program” in an apparent nod to what party leaders have been saying for a week.

The focus in the 2014 election is moving away from FitzGerald’s race against Republican Gov. John Kasich and being redirected to the Democrats’ down-ticket races.

FitzGerald made the announcement through press secretary Lauren Hitt, who, in an email to reporters, said she was staying with the campaign. Hitt’s status with FitzGerald is news because four of his top campaign aides and advisers left the campaign this week, and Hitt was considering leaving.

“We have every intention of continuing to wage a competitive, vocal campaign against Gov. Kasich and his record in Ohio,” she said. She called the transfer of FitzGerald’s campaign cash back to the state party both a “significant investment” and “strategic shift” that “will allow us to focus on turning out sporadic Democratic voters who made the difference in so many past elections.”

But it’s FitzGerald’s lack of financial resources — compounded by a month of negativity swirling around his campaign — that forced the shift. Campaign insiders say he has less than $1.5 million on hand, which is not enough to wage a statewide TV ad campaign and field operation against Kasich.

On Monday, The Dispatch was the first to report that campaign manager Nick Bius, communication director Daniel McElhatton and consultants Aaron Pickrell and Louis Capobianco had left FitzGerald’s campaign. Bius was replaced by Charles “Chip’” Shannon, originally of Mount Sterling, who has no experience as a campaign manager.

The exodus looked like it could be worse. Not only was Hitt considering leaving, but sources also said that Bill Hyers, an out-of-state consultant who, like Hitt, worked on the successful campaign of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio last year, and Denny Wojtanowski, an unpaid consultant close to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown who is handling debate negotiations, could be on their way out.

Hitt said they are all staying, as are others, but it’s unclear at what cost to the campaign. For instance, Hyers’ contract calls for him to be paid $10,000 per month.

“I am not trying to make money off this campaign,” Hyers said.

He said FitzGerald’s campaign members were each “reassessing” whether they wanted to continue with him this week, and that Hyers chose to stay because “the campaign decided that’s what’s best for the campaign.”

This month, it has been reported that FitzGerald was found by police early one morning two years ago in a parked car with a woman who was not his wife, and that he drove for 10 years without a valid driver’s license. He drove taxpayer-funded vehicles during that time as mayor of Lakewood and Cuyahoga County executive. His administration has punished county employees for driving without a license during periods when he didn’t have one, either.

Pundits have said these issues, compounded by FitzGerald’s money woes, have all but eliminated FitzGerald from contention against Kasich, and that’s why much of his remaining cash is going back to the state party.