Posted on 12/10/2005 10:46:24 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican
Sherrod Brown aiming for Senate House Democrat hopes to challenge DeWine after facing Paul Hackett in primary By William Hershey
Dayton Daily News
COLUMBUS | Fifteen years after a defeat that contributed to the Republican takeover of state government, Democrat Sherrod Brown is ready to make another try for statewide elective office.
U.S. Rep. Brown, D-Avon Lake, today released plans to officially kick off his race for the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Mike DeWine.
"I've been fighting clearly on the right side of issues ... on bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, on getting us out of Iraq honorably and quickly and in an orderly fashion, on health care issues, jobs and trade," Brown said in a telephone interview last week.
His announcement sets up a primary fight with Indian Hill attorney Paul Hackett, a Marine veteran of the Iraq war who narrowly lost a special election in August for a Cincinnati-area U.S. House seat.
The Ohio Republican Party has endorsed De-Wine for re-election to a third, six-year term.
Brown will start his four-day announcement tour on Friday in Columbus. Stops also are scheduled in Mansfield — Brown's hometown — Lorain, Toledo, Cincinnati, Steubenville and Akron. Additional stops may be scheduled.
In 1990, Brown lost a bid for re-election to a third term as Secretary of State to Republican Bob Taft, now Ohio governor. Brown's loss and Republican George Voinovich's defeat of Democrat Anthony J. Celebrezze in that year's governor's race put Republicans in two statewide offices that Democrats had held for eight years.
The victories also gave Republicans control of the State Apportionment Board, which draws state legislative districts. Republicans already controlled the Ohio Senate and in 1994 gained control of the Ohio House as well. They remain in control of both and also hold all statewide non-judicial offices.
Brown rebounded in 1992 to win the U.S. House seat he now holds and has been re-elected six times, in 2004 with 67 percent of the vote.
He frequently has been mentioned as a Democratic candidate for statewide office in recent years and said he now is ready to run.
"I'm sickened by the direction of the state, the ethics problems, the absence of any manufacturing policy, the jobs picture, the health care picture, the higher education picture ...," he said. He said that DeWine, President Bush and Taft all "have clearly failed in leading the state and the country."
Hackett spokesman Karl Frisch said, "We welcome him (Brown) to the race. It's been a long time since he lost a statewide campaign."
A Democratic primary between Brown and Hackett would present a "choice between more of the same in Washington or a fresh voice with new ideas," Frisch said.
Ohio Republican Party spokesman Jason Mauk said Brown "could not be more out of step with mainstream Ohio."
"We look forward to communicating his underwhelming accomplishments while at the same time promoting Sen. DeWine's achievements here in Ohio and on Capitol Hill," Mauk said.
Contact William Hershey at (614) 224-1608. Staff writer Jessica Wehrman contributed to this report.
"In 1994, Lorain County District Attorney Greg White, a decorated Vietnam veteran, would have won if he'd gotten full backing from the party."
Brown used to be my congressman until redistricting. Thank, God, is all I have to say.
Well..unless Dewine is found on tape doing something illegal with money or in a Clintonian type of sexual scandel..then it appears...it's safe to state Senator Dewine will contune to respent the state of Ohio.
By the way does'nt the GOP have other seats to keep a watchful eye on as well as gain?
Seantor Dewine will be fine......let's keep a watchful eye on others..Please
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