Democrats putting on brave front

COLUMBUS

Democrats running for statewide offices are trying to put a good face on the dismal poll numbers for the guy at the top of the ticket.

As mentioned here earlier, Ed FitzGerald was down 20-some points in the latest Quinnipiac Poll. It’s not a stretch to think if your top-of-the-ballot candidate is free falling, the rest of the slate is going to be dragged down, too.

Democratic candidates have been asked about this issue constantly. Here’s how they’re responding:

Treasurer: State Rep. Connie Pillich, D-Cincinnati, is challenging Republican incumbent Josh Mandel for the treasurer’s office.

Pillich thinks her “chances of winning are excellent. I’ve never needed the top of the ticket to win my races.”

She cites her Statehouse victories over the past six years, winning her seat in an area of the state that’s not known as a Democratic bastion. In 2012, she said, Mitt Romney won in her district; she secured re-election.

“I would have never won a Republican seat three times if I worried about what polling said,” she said, adding, “I think when the people of Ohio learn my background, my credentials, the fact that I have an MBA, that they’ll choose me.”

Auditor: State Rep. John Carney, D-Columbus, is challenging incumbent Republican Dave Yost for state auditor.

Carney said he and Yost are in the same position in the race.

“Dave Yost is unknown, I am unknown, and over half the public is undecided on the race,” he said, adding, “Arguably, I’m in as good a spot as anyone to win, given the fact that people don’t know there’s a state auditor. They don’t know what the auditor does. And they don’t know who the current state auditor is.”

ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE

Attorney General: Former Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper is challenging incumbent Republican Mike DeWine for attorney general.

Pepper ran for state auditor four years ago and managed a competitive race against Yost, losing by about 5 percentage points. In a year when Republicans swept statewide office, DeWine won by only about 1 percent, he said.

“I got a lot of Republican votes from my part of the state,” Pepper said. “Why? Because they know me. They know I’ve been very fiscally conservative. They know I crack down on crime.”

He added, “I’ve never worried too much about the whole ticket. ... I believe when push comes to shove, there are a whole lot of people who might vote for Republicans in other races who will still vote for me.”

Secretary of State: State Sen. Nina Turner, D-Cleveland, is challenging incumbent Republican Jon Husted for the secretary of state’s office.

Turner points out that she was the top vote-getter among Democrats in the spring primary, snagging close to 10,000 more votes than FitzGerald.

“I am running a strong campaign,” she said, adding, “The final poll will be on Election Day. The people will have the final say.”

The statewide Democrats are also quick to point out a comparable election year. In 2006, Democrats took the governor’s office and three of four other statewide offices. The one they lost: state auditor, which went to now-Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.co