Strickland dismisses Dem opponent in US Senate race

YOUNGSTOWN — Ex-Gov. Ted Strickland, who is seeking the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat next year, is largely dismissive of Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, his potential primary opponent.

“P.G. is a bright talented fella, but there are 15 or 20 such talented people in the Democratic Party,” Strickland said in an interview today with The Vindicator. “Many of them have more experience and a more impressive resume than he has.”

This was Strickland’s first visit to the Mahoning Valley since The Vindicator first reported Jan. 30 on its Vindy.com website that the former governor was going to run for the Senate.

Explaining why he wants to avoid a primary, Strickland said they “cost money and they always lead to divisive circumstances, hurt feelings, so on. I’ve never seen a primary that didn’t have that result.”

Strickland said he wasn’t concerned that Sittenfeld remains in the race.

“If I thought it was a serious threat I might feel differently than I do, but I don’t consider it a serious threat,” Strickland said.

In response, Dale Butland, Sittenfeld’s campaign spokesman, said, “P.G. is obviously a serious candidate. The Sittenfeld campaign outraised the Strickland campaign in the first quarter. That’s a sign he is very much a serious candidate.”

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com