Ohio Ping!
Posted on 08/28/2007 11:57:23 AM PDT by TonyRo76
Doug Preisse can count his candidates for one of the nation's most crucial congressional races next year by making a fist.
The Franklin County Republican Party chairman has none.
"We're not panicking," he insisted yesterday after two of his party's strongest candidates joined a growing list of Republicans forgoing the race to replace retiring GOP Rep. Deborah Pryce, who has held the 15th Congressional District seat since 1993.
"We're not under any pressure," Preisse said. "We've got several candidates who are interested."
He declined to name them. But the list of candidates considered potent enough to retain a district Republicans have held for 40 years dwindled yesterday when former Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka and former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro announced they won't run.
The filing deadline for the March 4 primary is Jan. 4, so Preisse still has time to field a candidate against Mary Jo Kilroy, the favored Democrat who narrowly lost to Pryce in 2006.
Still, his options narrowed after Lashutka and Petro said they won't run. State Sen. Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington and state Rep. Jim Hughes of Columbus took themselves out of consideration last week, and former Franklin County Commissioner Dewey Stokes said he would more likely run for commissioner in 2008 than for Congress.
Lashutka, 63, a senior vice president of corporate relations for Nationwide Insurance, said he isn't interested in the congressional seat or any other elected position.
"For the right person to serve and represent the district, it's a great opportunity, but it's not for me," he said.
Lashutka, mayor from 1992 to '99, said he would "never close that door" on a possible future bid for elective office, but now is not the time and Congress is not the venue.
"I'm honored and flattered to be considered, but I think you've got to have a passion for it. I had a passion for being city attorney and I had a passion for being mayor, and I just don't see how I would have a passion for (Congress)."
While eschewing a congressional race, Petro all but announced his candidacy for chief justice in 2010 to replace Thomas J. Moyer, who will be forced to leave the Ohio Supreme Court at the end of that year because of Ohio's mandatory retirement for judges at age 70.
"I just made a decision that being a member of Congress is not the best use of my skills," Petro said. "When I consider where my training and experience could be most valuable, I really think I'm better suited for the court."
Although the 15th District also includes Union and Madison counties, Preisse said about 89 percent of the vote comes from the Columbus and Franklin County portions of the district, so it makes sense to seek a candidate from Franklin County.
"We've heard from lots of good people. It's just a question of slowly and methodically working this out."
Will the last conservative in Ohio please turn out the lights....right after writing Bobby Taft and Bobby Ney a thanks for nothing letter?
Thanks in advance....
Sad indeed...
We’re gettin out of this state as soon as we can.
We're not under any pressure," Preisse said. "We've got several candidates who are interested."
The Ohio GOP is in self destruct mode. I take no joy in saying it.
If the Demo candidate for president wins OH this time it might well put them into the White House. Pretty sad, and scary.
Did I read correctly that Hastert now says he will resign in a couple of months, and not fill out the rest of this term? There’s one more seat the Dems might have a shot at. Meanwhile the GOP can’t seem to gain ground in many Demo held districts.
We tried getting rid of Rhinos and the Dems took over. A 3rd party won't win and the Dems will have control of everything...is this what you want??
Since 94I always thought we were One Election away from the end of America as we know it
I fear 2006 was that year
We will only escape over to Western PA, and my PA friends tell me that they have their own set of problems, including a union thug for a governor.
Will the last one out turn off the lights?
Western PA? Pittsburgh would be even worse than Ohio.
We are getting our butts kicked right now. Just met with my university’s president the other day, just an accidental run-in, and we talked for a few minutes, and it was “Strickland this” and “Strickland that.” And UD has HIRED Taft to have an endowed chair!
That would sure be my impression!
Western PA and NE Ohio area very similar: old industrial areas, heavily unionized and socialist, vote overwhelmingly Democratic.
A lot of old-timers in these places seem to think they're still voting for FDR. 
Yep, Republicans are an endangered species in those areas, and are getting to be that way here too, with Mel “Open Borders” Martinez and Charlie “The Democrats’ Best Friend” Crist.
We are getting our butts kicked right now. Just met with my university’s president the other day, just an accidental run-in, and we talked for a few minutes, and it was “Strickland this” and “Strickland that.” And UD has HIRED Taft to have an endowed chair!
Sigh.....
Hopefully Strickland will be knocked out by a strong GOP opponent in 2010.
It could be worse I live in CT and my congressman is Christopher Shays a regsitered Republican but that’s just so he can can the money out of Fairfield County. Near as I can tell he’s just to the right of Dennis Kucinich and Shays is the single last “GOP” congress critter left in all of New England which for the geographically challenged is CT, MA, RI, VT, NH and ME. That’s right 6 states and only one RINO amongst a collection of socialists!
Still trying to hold down lunch...
Naw, out in the country, surrounded by farms, nestled down in the ‘holler.
Mind you it's fine for Barny Frank to run gay prostition rings out of his house, for Jefferson to store bribes in his freezer, for Feinstein to sit on a committe and funnel millions into her hsubands business, Harry Reid to skim money from every questionable source that passes within 1,000 miles of Nevada, etc., etc. But becasue this nitwit Senator couldn't find a better place to find gay lovers than an airport bathroom we're going to have to have the LSM screaming from the rooftop from now til election day.
Sorry for the off topic rant but I just get so sick of this crap.
There are still Republicans who would make credible candidates.
Whom?
Petro - out
Lushtka - out
Stivers - out
Hughes - out
Whom?
Petro - out
Lushtka - out
Stivers - out
Hughes - out
If “conservatism” loses on November 4, 2008, then, the rest of the U.S. has the possibility of being just like all of the northeastern states starting in January ‘09! If this really happens, then say good-bye to both conservatism and the Republican Party for the long-term!
Former Columbus mayor Dana "Buck" Rinehart would be another great choice. He was actually the last conservative mayor Cols. has had (Lashutka was purely a chamber-of-commerce-owned RINO).
There are surely others I'm missing...
I guess Dewey Stokes is still out there too.
Come on NRCC get someone to run.
Who tried, when? The GOP gave up on doing anything it supposedly stood for and lost.
It’s time for a great migration. Conservatives in liberal states like, Maine, should move to states like Ohio, Virginia, Montana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire. States Bush barley carried or narrowly lost. A few million folks, relocated in the right spots might keep Hillary out of power.
We (OH) tried by getting rid of our Rhino...I voted against him in the Primary but for the Republican ticket in the general.
There are 2 potential names being floated, both sound RINOish but right now I’d take anything with a pulse and an R label.
Good way to rectify the disturbingly "blue" way Ohio's been trending. I'd totally go for that...
Especially if it brings alot more single, 25-35 y/o conservative gals here!
;)
Re #16 - There is no such animal
Re #25 - Maybe John Kasick (sp?). I think this was his original seat.
re #31 - can conservative migration keep pace with La Raza?
Not yet, at least that I’m aware of.
I've voted for each of these gals in local/judge races before. Seems to me Preisse had some slightly better conservative credentials—although her connection with the United Way "corporate compassion cartel" is certainly lamentable.
BTW, the top comment on that blog, by R. Lee Ermey at 6:56 pm this evening, had me LOL!! (I remember Northland's final years, so I know just what he's talking about :o)
Re #34 - The URL leads to a story naming Dana Preisse. She is a real winner. A judge, as was Deb Pryce, similar sounding name, her brother is county GOP chair and she is very attractive, much more so than Dem contender Kilroy:
http://www.fccourts.org/drj/dspreisse.html
However, in Ohio a judge must resign to run for nonjudicial office. She’d need some strong polling results to make the leap.
Also let us pull for Diana Irey to knock off Murtha since Marines are being exonerated.
But your point is well taken: I'd love to see Kasich back in Congress...maybe as Speaker...maybe as a U.S. Senator!
“If Hillary! gets in the WH (and I think there is a more than even chance of that happening), then we’re all done. Like I said before, we’re not going to be around here arguing why so-and-so is a RINO SOB or such-and-such isn’t a ‘true conservative’. All of those petty differences mean nothing when stacked up against the evil that Hillary Clinton is, and the danger to the Republic she will pose as POTUS. It is only by Grace that in 2000 we were spared the nightmare of a continuation of the Clinton years. Now, I fear, given the sniping and infighting I’ve seen, here and elsewhere, stupid, petty vendettas against whoever-I-say-isn’t-a-true-conservative, we’re all going to pay a price, a price in blood, a nightmare that we won’t awake from.”
Let it not come to that.
Stand together, and stand for freedom.
Kasich should challenge Voinovich in primary because he sure isn’t going to be reelected. They’re lining up to run against him.
Sorry guys, Kasich does not want to go back to D.C. He might run for governor though.
I do hope Rob Portman win run for Senate in 2010 because Voinovich is, politically, dead man walking.
Portman would be an awesome Senator!
Voinovich has been lousy—few on our side would dispute that. But I also hear he’s thinking of retiring in 2010. If true, that would be great! It would spare whoever runs (Portman?) the expense of a costly primary battle.
I hope Voiny retires. He may need a little “push” to retire.
I kind of doubt Portman will primary the Voiny but if Crying George retires, that’s a different story.
The GOP would ignore these constituents at its own peril. Choosing a RINO to run for this seat won't do. Debbie almost lost this district in '06 to a wingnut Leftist harpie, in part (I believe) because she has somewhat alienated the Republican base.
A genuine conservative is the only hope we have of retaining this seat in Congress!
My impression of '06 is that our base turned out and in the end voted for our candidates (I know I did). Trouble was, statewide anyway, relatively few others did. The 'rats won their base, and then some. Our candidates have to do likewise to win. Deb Pryce did so, barely, in '06. Franklin Co. demographics are undergoing a major shift. I think she sensed that and decided the time was right to call it a career.
And for the "turnout is everything" fans, well, in '06, I think we got turnout. Trouble is, the voters turned out and voted for the other guy. Turnout doesn't do you much good if they turn out and don't vote for you.
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