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I think statewide announcements deserve an update on this basically defunct blog, don't you?
Jennifer Brunner is running for Senate!
Lee Fisher is running for Senate!
I covered what I thought at the Keeler Report. In summary, here is what i said:
1. I am stupefied by all the Democrats who were begging her to run again for SoS - pitching the "team player" angle - and thought it would work. Open Senate seats come along maybe once but probably not twice in a career of a politician. Brunner obviously doesn't see herself as just a Secretary of State. This was her chance and she would have been borderline stupid to not take it. She will have the full-backing of 60th vote Sherrod which will be worth something. She cares more about herself than the Apportionment Board. So would you if you were her too.
2. Saying that Brunner doesn't see herself as a career SoS, she also knows that if Strickland wins in 2010, AG Cordray is the party choice for Governor if he wins in 2010 as well. That must have played a factor in her thinking. And she must have felt both would happen. Not saying they will, just saying that is what she thinks.
3. While 60th vote Sherrod will support Brunner, Fisher will have the backing of Strickland and what he controls…..at least the two of them will have that backing as we start out.
4. Dispatch: Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason might replace Brunner in the SoS race. I guess? Though Brunner is a formidable candidate, her departure does bring about a major opening for the Ohio GOP to take that seat back and hold the Apportionment Board. I wonder, deep down, if the Ohio GOP would rather win the Senate seat or Brunner's. Actually, I am fairly sure it is Brunner's.
5. Will this push out others in the Democratic field - or encourage them to get going on their bid? Neither Fisher or Brunner is backing down - and you can't expect anyone to with this opportunity. If Brunner and Fisher are both going to run and there will not be a clear field, there is no incentive for any of the other possibilities to stay away. It might be easier for someone like Betty Sutton or Peter Lawson Jones to win in a fractured primary - much like Sutton did for her congressional seat in March 2006. (I think this is the most important point).
6. I guess with Fisher making it official that means Bill O'Neill won't be running. He said he wouldn't run if Fisher did. What a relief.
I also think it is important that we note prediciting this race so far out would be foolish. Ask George Allen, Tom Daschle, and Ted Stevens about that.
(originally published November 25, 2008 - bumped to top)
No use in delaying the announcement any longer - effective November 30th, this site is changing. Kyle and I were brought on to supplement the election coverage for Ohio.com and that period has come and gone. So has our time here.
It has been a tremendous opportunity and one I never took for granted. It was not one I ever sought out, but one that I am glad I decided to do after some initial reluctance. Things worked out far better than I thought they would both for myself and the site. I have had chances to do things, go to events, get access, and meet people that would never have been possible before this website launched.
We found out officially on October 30, the day after the Phillies won the World Series. Talk about a buzz kill. It was my decision to keep it quiet until now. I felt it best that way: continue on through the election and keep doing the best job possible without distraction. This won't be my last post here, but readers deserve to be informed about what is going on. Sorry, that is all I have; I have no idea what they will be doing with the site.
There are a few people I want to thank. She is no longer with Ohio.com, but Linda Lyell was the one who got this thing started. It was her idea and she got it off the ground. Jim Arnold helped get the site launch off the ground and helped us work through some of the early technical stuff. Amanda Reagan was charged with the tough task of selling ads. Dan Kadar has done a lot of behind the scenes work as well - filming many interviews and doing general site maintenance. The site couldn't have run without him. His name was never on anything, but it should have been. When we were having trouble gaining traction early on, many bloggers linked to us or wrote something nice about what was going on here. There are too many to name, but you aren't forgotten. I will always remember the people that stuck up for me when the controversy flared up one week in. It was people on both sides of the blogosphere, friends, family members, high ups at the ABJ, and other random people who were outraged that I might be fired after a week. Thanks to all the politicians who took their valuable time to do interviews with us. Governor Ted Strickland particularly. Others know who you are. In my opinion, that helped put this site above most others. My parents supported my move back into the Akron area, knowing that this was something of a dream job for me. That is not a surprise - they've always been there for both of their children in good times and bad. My mom must have given out hundreds of our business cards to people around the area. My dad was always there to bounce my ideas off of.
Not a lot of additional information right now, but State Senator Kevin Coughlin announced this afternoon he plans to run for governor. I first saw it here at Ohio.com.
Looks like John Kasich, should he decide to run, will not have a clear primary field.
Update: State Senator Coughlin is exploring with the intention of running for governor. The state party has been informed of the organizing for a 2010 governor campaign and that is what is going on as of now. Just wanted to clarify that.
Well if there was ever a reason update a basically defunct Ohio political blog, this would probably be it. Looks like we got our answer on whether Senator Voinovich will run for a third term in 2010.
Politico: Ohio Republican George Voinovich is expected to announce Monday that he won't seek reelection to the Senate in 2010.
A two-term senator, former governor and Cleveland mayor, Voinovich has been a political fixture in his state for decades. But recent press reports from his home state have indicated the 72-year-old lawmaker is considering retirement, and a person close to him told Politico that the announcement will come Monday.
His retirement would give Democrats a shot at an open Senate seat in a battleground state that voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 elections and elected Democrat Sherrod Brown to the Senate in 2006.
After the last couple of days, I am not surprised. But overall, yes, I am surprised. It was always a foregone conclusion he was running. Until something happened.
Let the speculation of who will run begin. I don't know any names you don't - Rob Portman is the likely GOP candidate. Democrats will be fun to watch, as there are about 85 of them who A) want the nomination and B) think they are entitled to it. Lee Fisher, Tim Ryan, Peter Lawson Jones, Marcy Kaptur are names that are bouncing around. Hell, even Zach Space is.
Story: Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided to pursue the United States Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a person told of her decision said on Monday.
How pissed off would be if you were serving in the U.S. House from New York and you wanted to be a senator? You wait around and wait around and hope the chance comes your way at some point - knowing even then it would be a dogfight for the nomination. Then in 2000, it did. Moynihan decided to retire. A lot of Democrats in New York were waiting that one out, but unfortunately for them some First Lady came in and decided to move there because she wanted it.
Well, that seat is now open again……and the same people kept their mouth shut and stepped aside the first time…….and now someone with no history of holding elected office wants to replace HRC. Sounds like the criticism the left leveled at Sarah Palin, minus the whole she was a governor part. One would have to think New York Governor David Paterson will give Kennedy a long look. I don't think all of the contenders (former Rep. Nita Lowey, Reps. Steve Israel, Greg Meeks, Nydia Velasquez, Brian Higgins just to name a few) will keep quiet this time.
(Note: "Rep." is short for "representative" not "Republican." The media was fond of only referring to Gary Condit as "Rep. Gary Condit" back in 2001 to try and confuse people into thinking he was not a Democrat.)
For Republicans, it is fun to watch, but that is about as close as we will get to ever winning this seat. Giuliani would have an outside chance to win it, but he would never run again (after dropping out in 2000). Peter King would have a glimmer of hope, but not much.
For the latest on Coleman - Franken in Minnesota, this post by Powerline has some good information. It is going to be close, and one side is not going to be happy with the end result.
