The battle to win the May 6 Republican primary for Ohio's 14th Congressional District between U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce and state Rep. Matt Lynch continues as each recently received national endorsements.

Lynch of Bainbridge Township received the endorsement April 15 from the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, which said in a news release that the overwhelming majority of its grassroots activists in Ohio expressed their enthusiastic support of Lynch's candidacy.

Matt Lynch

Dave Joyce

Meanwhile, Joyce of Russell Township received endorsement April 22 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which said also named his as the recipient of the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber. The award recognizes Joyce’s work to support American workers and businesses through policies that encourage private sector investment and growth.

The latest campaign committee reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission show that Lynch ended with $48,940 cash on hand for his report that showed contributions and expenditures made from Jan. 1 through March 31.

A report for Joyce for the same time period showed he had $1,217,687 cash on hand.

It should be an interesting final two weeks before the primary election.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Republican Gov. John Kasich has lanuched his first TV commercial for the 2014 gubernatorial campaign.

The ad is titled "Deliver" and highlights Kasich's upbringing and his family. The piece does not mention Democrat Ed FitzGerald, who is likely the main challenger to Kasich in the Nov. 4 election.




The FitzGerald campaign responded to the commercial calling it "Kasich's Etch-A-Sketch Moment".

A full response by the campaign can be found here.

Here's a snippet from that page:

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Democrat Michael Wager, candidate for Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, wants U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce to reject a Republican federal budget proposal.

Wager of Moreland Hills is unopposed in his party’s primary and is slated to appear on the November ballot against the winner of a Republican Party primary between Joyce, R-Russell Township, and state Rep. Matt Lynch of Bainbridge Township. Libertarian Party candidate David Macko of Solon is unopposed in his party’s primary.

Wager spoke to a group of supporters April 10 outside Joyce's office in Twinsburg. The photos below were submitted by the Wager campaign.

"I’m calling on Congressman David Joyce to reject this reckless and dangerous Republican budget proposal,” Wager said in a statement released after the event. "Congressman Joyce’s budget is an attack on women, seniors and working families in Ohio’s 14th District. It irresponsibly gives tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, and pays for it by raising taxes on middle class families by an average of $2,000 per year."

Wager said that the budget would voucherize Medicare and re-open the part D doughnut hole, costing Ohio’s seniors an average of $1,200 more per year in prescription drug costs.

"We have to address the budget deficit, but we have to do it the right way, not on the backs of the middle class and seniors,” Wager said. “Congressman Joyce’s reckless Republican budget represents the wrong priorities for voters in Ohio’s 14th District"

Joyce’s campaign spokesman Kevin Benacci said in an email that America needs a serious, realistic, honest budget that holds Washington accountable and protects taxpayers.

“Mr. Wager’s idea of a budget is one that never balances and increases taxes,” Benacci said. “The simple truth is America can’t afford to spend like it has, and hardworking taxpayers can’t afford the taxes they have to pay.

“Dave Joyce believes America can’t control our future if we don’t own our future. Every day we keep spending and spending, and that means we keep borrowing and borrowing, with much of it from China. That means we are no longer in control of our country’s own economic future.”

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

@newsheraldjah

Cuyahoga County Ed FitzGerald, also a Democratic candidate for governor, wasn’t happy April 7 when he learned Ohio House of Representatives Republicans want to cut local government funding by 10 percent to any county that sends unsolicited absentee ballot requests to registered voters.

“Any opportunity to make voting more difficult for the poor, seniors, African Americans and working Ohioans is consistently and enthusiastically embraced by the Republicans in the General Assembly. And their plan to now punish the residents of communities who simply want to make voting easier is not only politics at its worst, it is a direct attack on how local governments pay for police, fire and other vital services,” FitzGerald said in a statement.

The Columbus Dispatch reported April 8 that Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican who is up for re-election this year, said he plans to send absentee ballot requests to all Ohio voters and that this issue is something counties don’t need to worry about.

Meanwhile, FitzGerald was in Willoughby April 7 for a campaign fundraiser at the Willoughby Brewing Company.

“As governor, Ed FitzGerald will make the economy work for all Ohioans. Lake County’s unemployment rate is 7.9 percent, over a full point above the national average,” his campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said. “Before he make anther cross country trip to tout the Ohio Miracle, Gov. (John) Kasich should spend sometime talking to Ohioans in Lake County.”

Submitted photos are from the FitzGerald campaign.

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce recently released his first radio advertisement as part of his May 6 primary campaign.

The 1-minute spot titled “Obama Knew” begins with a snippet from President Barack Obama saying “You’ll be able to keep your health care plan” before the rollout of Obamacare.

The Joyce advertisement says independent fact checkers call it the “lie of the year” and the clip also notes the congressman has voted many times to repeal Obamacare.

The rest of the spot attempts to paint Joyce as a fiscal conservative working to shrink federal spending and get the country on a budget.

It also makes no mentions of his GOP primary opponent Matt Lynch or his potential Nov. 4 opponents Democratic Michael Wager and Libertarian David Macko.

John A. Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah