2nd District race crowded, covers wide political span

Dayton Daily News ^ | 6-2-05 | Lawrence Budd

[Dan from Michigan]

2nd District race crowded, covers wide political span
17 running to fill Portman seat; primary June 14
By Lawrence Budd

Dayton Daily News

LEBANON | Cincinnati Right to Life's political action committee endorses three of 11 Republican candidates in the race to replace former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman. The Family First PAC is backing two.

Rather than endorsing Jean Schmidt, president of the Greater Cincinnati Right to Life, Warren County Right to Life President Lori Viars supports former congressman Bob McEwen.

Among other neoconservative leaders in his camp, McEwen lists John Wilke, a founder of the anti-abortion movement and Cincinnati Right to Life group, while campaign literature lists Wilke among those backing state Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr.'s campaign.

In the void caused by differences within neoconservative circles, political observers see room for Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine, son of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, and a former Cincinnati City Council member, in the June 14 GOP primary.

The Democrat emerging from that party's primary might even be able to contest the Aug. 2 general election otherwise expected to go to a Republican, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland said.

Since redistricting, the 2nd District sprawls across all or part of seven counties. It also covers most of southern Warren County and Lebanon.

This year's ballot will list five Democrats, and an 82-year-old Mason lawyer hopes for write-in votes.

Others expected to draw GOP votes are Schmidt, a marathoner, former state representative and former Miami Twp. trustee, and Brinkman, a Mount Lookout man elected to the Statehouse in 2000 after working in a family printing business.

The only Warren County Republican in the race is David R. Smith, a Procter and Gamble financial analyst new to politics.

From Hamilton County come Tom Bemmes, a math teacher, magician and former school board member; private school teacher Peter Fossett of Montgomery; and lawyer, retired naval officer and township trustee Eric Minamyer of Symmes Twp., and Douglas E. Mink of Sharonville, who teaches for an online school.

Hailing from Peebles in Adams County: Steve Austin, a retired civics teacher, and Jeff Morgan, a letter-carrier and youth minister.

Indian Hill in Hamilton County produced two Democrats: lawyer and Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett III and physician and philanthropist Victoria Wells Wulsin. Also from Hamilton County is stay-at-home civil engineer Jeff Sinnard, like McEwen, from Anderson Twp. Health care administrator James Parker is from Pike County, on the district's eastern boundary.

Warren County Democratic candidates include former a Waynesville mayor and four-time Portman opponent, Charles Sanders, and Arthur Katz, the 82

[bizzyblog]

The fact that Stickland is paying attention is not good news.

I suspect it foreshadows a very strong Dem effort to get behind Hackett is he wins the primary. They'll have to hold their noses a bit, because he is not MoveOn lib, but being in the hungry minority can change even few moonbat minds.

He is a Marine who served in OIF, volunteering to go there. He seems articulate, active, and genuine.

Put Hackett up against certain of the phoney baloneys on the GOP side, and there's trouble, right here in River City.

[Dan from Michigan]

I've heard that Hackett's a dream candidate for them. If he's up against DeWine, I'm worried about "Tim Holden II".

Not to mention that literally anything can happen in a special election since turnout will be lucky to reach 25%.

[GoBucks2002]

McEwen has his own character issues with the check overdrafts from when he was in Congress. People around here are alos not terribly impressed by the fact that he managed to lose two elections trying to get back to Congress, then went to DC. He lived in Virginia and was a fat-cat lobbyist. In so doing, he was nowhere to be found for 12 years around here. The he suddenly parachutes back into the district when the seat becomes empty.

There is also former State rep Jean Schmidt, who has a good conservative record on most issues, except that she backed a state sales tax hike last year.

For my money, and my time and effort, state rep Tom Brinkman is THE MAN. He is truly conservative (except on the death penalty, which in its current state at thefederal level is hardly worth mentioning). He has the voting record and the personal integrity to back it up, too. www.gobrinkman.com

[Dan from Michigan]

I met Brinkman a few years back at a gun rights conference near Cincy. He seemed like a straight shooter then, and still does.

I'd vote for him if I could, and sent $25.