Free Republic

Padgett picked to represent GOP on ballot By RENEE BROWN, T-R Staff Writer State Sen. Joy Padgett will face Dover Law Director Zack Space in the Nov. 7 general election in the race for the 18th District congressional seat. Voters overwhelmingly chose Padgett to replace embattled Rep. Bob Ney, who announced last month he would not continue his bid for re-election. Ney cited the distraction of intensifying investigation into his dealings with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Padgett won in all 16 counties that comprise the 18th District – Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Licking, Morgan,...

The Jack Abramoff scandal that rocked Capitol Hill last winter claimed its second electoral victim as Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney announced Monday he will abandon his re-election race. But as Republicans try to hold onto the seat, questions are arising over the “sore loser” provision in Ohio election law. Ney, a 12-year incumbent, has not been charged. He has been named in several guilty pleas of Abramoff associates and federal officials have told him he is a target of the probe. Last month, Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition director and another Abramoff associate, lost a Republican primary lieutenant...

U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, dogged by an influence peddling probe in Washington, will not seek re-election, state Sen. Joy Padgett said early Monday. Ney called Padgett on Saturday and asked the fellow Republican to run in his place, saying that defending himself has been a strain on his family, she said. "It's a very sad time," Padgett said of Ney's decision, first reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on its Web site. She said Ney told her, "that there's only so much he can take. He said, 'I have to do this.'" Padgett told The Associated Press she would run for...