Now that state Rep. John Patrick Carney has announced he will run for Ohio Auditor, Democrats have filled most of their slate of statewide candidates who will challenge Republican incumbents in 2014.

Carney is a Columbus-based healthcare attorney who grew up in Bay Village and has served in the Ohio General Assembly for three two-year terms.

He will challenge incumbent state Auditor Dave Yost, a Republican who is finishing his first term in office.

Other races shape up for now to pit Gov. John Kasich vs. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald; Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel vs. state Rep. Connie Pillach; Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted vs. state Sen. Nina Turner; and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine vs. former Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy also will be on the ballot next year. No Democrat opposition has announced so far.

Carney said during an interview with The News-Herald that he believes his experience in the health care field would serve him well as he would aim as auditor to carefully examine the large percentage of the state’s revenue that is spent on health care.

Other issues Carney will use as campaign talking points are to protect Lake Erie and waterway assets and what he says is the gerrymandering of legislative districts that eliminates bipartisanship on the state level.

He also believes that JobsOhio needs to be more transparent and said Ohioans deserve to know where public tax money is spent in the effort to help create jobs.

It should be an interesting election season next year to see if Republicans continue to dominate state politics or whether Democrats make any headway.

Welcome to the bench

Congratulations to Geauga County Assistant Prosecutor Mark Bartolotta, who was appointed by Kasich to become the new Lake County Probate Court judge. I’ll write a little bit more on this development in a future column.

Events

Geauga County Democratic Party hosts a spaghetti dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday and a speaker will discuss the new federal health care law. Former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner will talk about women’s issues and her new book at 2 p.m. Sept. 22. The party’s annual clambake will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 5. Each of the events will be at party headquarters in Newbury Township.

Geauga County Republican Party hosts GOP Steak Roast with a mystery guest speaker at 2 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Troy Township Pavilion.

Lake County Democratic Women’s Club hosts 75th anniversary luncheon and Woman of the Year award on Sept. 21 at Dino’s Party Center in Willoughby.

Candidate endorsements

Candidates in Lake, Geauga and eastern Cuyahoga counties who appear on the Nov. 5 ballot may send in listings of endorsements they receive for the upcoming election via email, fax or standard mail. They will appear online periodically on The News-Herald’s Northern Ohio Politics blog.

Change in publication date

Starting with the Sept. 21 edition, this column will be published on The News-Herald’s editorial page on Saturdays instead of on Sundays.

Fundies

n Susan McGuinness, candidate for Painesville Township trustee, hosts a ’60s Night fundraiser, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at Harry Buffalo in Painesville Township. See Susan or Ray McGuinness.

n Geauga County Auditor Frank J. Gliha hosts Chinese Dinner fundraiser, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at Pineview Lake in Munson Township. See Gliha.

n Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy hosts Fall Classic golf outing and Clam Bake, 12:30 p.m. shotgun start Sept. 27 at Lost Nation Municipal Golf Course in Willoughby. See Kip Molenaar.

n Dennis Morley, candidate for Eastlake mayor, hosts Steak Roast Fundraiser, 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at Boracs Landing in Eastlake. See Donna Vaughn or Dale Bradley.

n State Rep. John Rogers hosts fall clambake, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at Mentor Beach Park in Mentor-on-the-Lake. See Rogers or Kip Molenaar.

n Lake County Commissioner Judy Moran hosts Oktoberfest 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at American Legion Hall in Willowick. See Paul Miller or Kevin Malecek.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Now that the May 7 special election results have been made official by the Lake County Elections Board, let’s take a look at where each ballot issue won or lost in the respective community or school district.

In general, the breakdown is a way to see how your neighborhood voted and it can be a useful tool for entities planning future election strategies.

A five-year, 3.9-mill replacement and 6.4-mill additional levy combined into a 10.3-mill levy for Fairport Harbor Village’s current operating expenses lost 350-239 or 59.42 percent to 40.58 percent. The levy failed 203-153 in Precinct AA and 147-86 in Precinct BB.

Kirtland’s five-year, 2-mill road improvement levy failed 855-847 or 50.24 percent to 49.76 percent. The levy was defeated 157-154 in Precinct 1A, 249-221 in Precinct 3A, 261-228 in Precinct 4A; it won 244-188 in Precinct 2A.

Kirtland Schools 10-year, estimated 5.12 mills generating $1,552,615 annually for emergency requirements won 970-840 or 53.59 percent to 46.41 percent.

The levy passed in each of Kirtland’s four precincts; tied 3-3 in Willoughby Precinct 2A; lost 25-24 in Kirtland Hills Precinct AA and 24-22 Waite Hill Precinct AA.

A continuing, 3.8-mill additional levy for Madison Village police lost 203-191 or 51.52 percent to 48.48 percent. The levy passed 104-97 in Precinct AA, but failed 106-87 in Precinct BB.

For Mentor Schools, a continuing, 1-mill renewal levy for general permanent improvements won 5,079 to 1,866 or 73.13 percent to 26.87 percent. The 10-year, estimated 8.84-mill renewal levy for avoiding an operating deficit won 5,085 to 1,858 or 73.24 percent to 26.76 percent.

Both school levies passed in each of the school district’s 45 precincts.

A 5-year, 6.06-mill renewal levy for operating expenses for Painesville Schools won 402-282 or 58.77 percent to 41.23 percent. The levy passed in five Painesville precincts — 2B, 3A, 3B, 3C and 4B; failed in five precincts — 1A, 1B, 2A, 4A and 4C.

The Willoughby-Eastlake Schools 10-year, estimated 4.71 mills generating $7,585,000 annually for emergency requirements lost 3,632 to 3,213 or 53.06 percent to 46.94 percent.

A breakdown of how the levy fared in each community reveals:

In Eastlake, the levy passed in six of 12 precincts — 1A, 1B, 2B, 4A, 4B and 4C; failed in 1C, 2A, 2C, 3A, 3B and 3C.

The levy passed in seven of 15 precincts in Willoughby — 2A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B and 6B; failed in 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2B, 3A, 4C and 6A.

In Willoughby Hills, the levy passed in Precinct GG and failed in the other six precincts.

The levy passed in three of nine Willowick precincts — 2A, 2B and 2C; failed in 1A, 1B, 1C, 3A, 3B and 3C.

A majority of voters in Lakeline Precinct AA, Timberlake AA and Waite Hill AA each voted down the levy.

Ohio Treasurer candidate announces

State Rep. Connie Pillich, D-Montgomery, has announced she will run for state Treasurer in 2014.

Republican Josh Mandel of Beachwood is serving his first term as Treasurer.

Pillach is serving her third term in the Ohio House of Representatives. Her district is located in southwestern Ohio.

Taken out petitions

Recently signing out candidacy petitions with the Elections Board in Lake County are: C. Michelle Hayes for Madison School Board, Mary Jarins and Ellen Brown for Fairport School Board.

Deadline

The weekly deadline to submit information for this column is prior to 5 p.m. each Wednesday. Email or fax is preferred.

Fundies

n Fundraiser for Geauga County Commissioner Mary Samide, 4:30 to 7 p.m. May 30 at S.O.S. Inc. in Munson Township. See Samide or Jacqueline Moskal.

n Lake County Commissioner Robert E. Aufuldish, 18th annual golf outing, 11:30 a.m. registration May 31 at Powderhorn Country Club in Madison Township. See Kathie Aufuldish-Freshour or Ernie Koenig.

n Friends of Laketran political action committee will host Bowling for the Future fundraiser, 2 p.m. June 1 at Scores Fun Center in Painesville. See Nancy Cook.

n Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap’s Golf and Steak Fry, 10:30 a.m. shotgun start June 7 at Painesville Country Club. See Lu Dunlap or Frank Leonbruno.

n Willoughby Hills Councilwoman Nancy Fellows hosts Flag Day Family Picnic from 6 to 8 p.m. June 14 at Campbell Park in Willoughby Hills. See Nancy or Dale Fellows.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

State Rep. Connie Pillich, D-Montgomery, has announced she will run for Ohio Treasurer in 2014.

“I’m running for Treasurer because working families, small business owners, and seniors need someone who will fight for them,” said Pillach in a news release. “Ohioans deserve a Treasurer who will do the job she was elected to do and will make sure our tax dollars are protected and used wisely.”

Republican Josh Mandel of Beachwood is serving his first term as state Treasurer.

Pillach is serving her third term in the Ohio House of Representatives. Her district is located in southwestern Ohio.

“Whether as a captain in the Air Force, a lawyer and owner of a small business, or a representative in the legislature, I've dedicated my career to listening to concerns, creating a plan of action, and working hard to deliver real results,” she said.

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

President Barack Obama won Ohio by a slightly higher margin than initially reported after provisional and later arriving absentee ballots were included in the official count for Ohio.

Unofficial results available the night of the election had Obama winning Ohio by two percentage points and it was enough for the state to be put in the win column for the president who was on his way to an Electoral College victory.

It’s not as important now, but it’s interesting to note that the official results certified Thursday by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted show that Obama beat Republican nominee Mitt Romney by three percentage points.

Obama defeated Romney 2,827,621 to 2,661,407 or 50.67 percent to 47.69 percent, official results show.

In this case, and in the grand scheme of things, one percentage point really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s over, nothing has changed.

The addition of provisional and later arriving absentee ballots for the Nov. 6 election favored the Democratic presidential ticket.

Because the race was fairly close the provisional ballots could have played a much larger role had the election in Ohio been just a little bit closer.

What if Romney had been slightly ahead in Ohio on election night and then the state’s electoral votes came down to waiting for the addition of the provisional and absentee ballots?

Obviously that wasn’t the case, and Obama went on to secure the necessary 270 Electoral College votes even without Ohio.

I was surprised that Ohio was called in Obama’s win column on election night so quickly — a little after 11 p.m.

This wouldn’t be a remake of the 2000 presidential election when terms like hanging chads were in vogue as the nation waited to see how the vote in Florida would be concluded.

In Lake County, the addition of provisional and later arriving absentee ballots also favored leaned toward the Democratic presidential ticket as 2,461 votes were added to Obama’s official total and 1,594 votes to Romney’s. Official figures show that Romney won the county 58,744 to 57,680 or 49.50 percent to 48.61 percent.

The pattern also holds true in Lake County for the U.S. Senate race between Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Republican Josh Mandel, who is Ohio’s treasurer.

Brown officially won Lake County 54,981 to 52,795 or 48.27 percent to 46.35 percent.

When the provisional and later arriving absentee ballots were added in, Brown gained 2,085 votes and Mandel gained 1,460 votes, when added to unofficial results.

Ryan candidacy?

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, has been mentioned by some as a possible Democratic candidate for Ohio governor in 2014 as he comes from a strong base in the Youngstown area.

Others typically included in that conversation as possible candidates are former Gov. Ted Strickland and Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald.

Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, has recently indicated that he intends to seek re-election.

Ryan’s chances at a possible nomination probably weren’t helped this week when it was revealed that he was arrested by Lexington, Va. police in August for a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication, according to the Youngstown Vindicator. A Virginia judge recently dismissed the charge.

Ryan called the charge “garbage” and said that he wasn’t intoxicated, but had been walking strangely because he had thrown out his back, the newspaper reported.

The Ohio Republican Party pounced on the news and called on Ryan “to provide a credible explanation about his 2 a.m. arrest.”

Swearing in

Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Tim Grendell, 11th District Court of Appeals Judge Diane Grendell, and Geauga Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Geauga County Probate Juvenile Courtroom A. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer will officiate.

Deadline reminder

The weekly deadline for information to appear in this column is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Email or fax is preferred.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

The three-member Lake County Board of Commissioners will definitely have a western Lake County feel next year.

It also will be an all-Democrat commission, as Robert E. Aufuldish of Wickliffe was re-elected Tuesday and Willowick Council President Judy Moran was elected to her first term.

They join Willowick Democrat Daniel P. Troy, who remains on the board until his term expires at the end of 2014.

According to final unofficial results (used for all information in this column), Aufuldish won by a margin of 54,787 to 49,081.

He won each precinct in Eastlake, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Painesville, Wickliffe, Willoughby, Willowick, Fairport Harbor, Grand River, Lakeline, and Timberlake.

Aufuldish also prevailed in Madison Township, winning seven of 10 precincts and six of 11 in Painesville Township,

His opponent, Republican John R. Hamercheck, a Madison Village councilman, won each precinct in Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, Leroy Township, his hometown Madison Village, North Perry Village, Perry Village, Perry Township and Waite Hill.

Hamercheck also won 13 of 14 precincts in Concord Township and four of seven precincts in Willoughby Hills.

The two candidates split the city of Mentor, as each won 17 precincts.

Overall, Aufuldish won 99 precincts, while Hamercheck won 58 precincts.

Moran won by a margin of 53,713 to 50,897, defeating Willoughby Hills Councilman David M. Fiebig.

Moran won each precinct in Eastlake, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Painesville, Wickliffe, Willowick, Fairport Harbor, Grand River and Timberlake.

She also was victorious in Willoughby by winning 10 of 15 precincts, six of 10 precincts in Madison Township and six of 11 precincts in Painesville Township.

Fiebig won each precinct in Kirtland, Concord Township, Kirtland Hills, Leroy Township, North Perry Village, Perry Village, Perry Township and Waite Hill.

He also took 19 of 34 precincts in Mentor and five of seven precincts in his hometown Willoughby Hills.

Overall, Moran won 89 precincts, and Fiebig won 67 precincts. They tied in Mentor Precinct 2C, as each received 421 votes.

For both commissioners races combined, there were 208,478 total votes for the two races and of that figure 108,500 were for Democrats with 99,978 for Republicans.

That contrasts to the top of each party’s ticket in Lake County, where Republican Mitt Romney beat President Barack Obama by a margin of 57,150 to 55,219 giving Romney the edge by 1,931 votes.

Also in Lake County, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, beat Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican, by a margin of 52,896 to 51,335 to win the county’s overall vote by 1,561 votes.

In a future column, I’ll take a look at how the Ohio House of Representatives races in Lake County shaped out and possibly others that have generated interest.

Prediction recap

In last Sunday’s column I made predictions for 18 races that appeared in the print edition. I also posted those plus 10 additional picks on the News-Herald’s political blog.

Out of 28 races, I got 24 correct — missing on one countywide result in Lake and Geauga counties, one multi-county race and one statewide race.

In print, 16 of were 18 correct, missing on the races for Lake County recorder and Geauga County commissioner for the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2014.

I incorrectly picked Jason Wuliger to defeat Ann Radcliffe in the recorder’s race, and Jim Dvorak to beat Mary Samide in the commissioner race. Radcliffe and Samide were victorious.

For the additional 10 picks published online, I missed when I picked Mary Jane Trapp to defeat Colleen O’Toole for 11th District Court of Appeals, and I picked Yvette McGee Brown to beat Sharon L. Kennedy for Ohio Supreme Court for the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2014. O’Toole and Kennedy were victorious.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

With President Barack Obama set to speak Saturday morning at Mentor High School, campaign officials urged voters to cast their ballots early.

Robert Schiebli, vice-chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, spoke during a press conference Friday afternoon at the Obama campaign’s Mentor field office.

He urged people not to forget their right to vote and to support the president.

“We’re fighting to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known — the promise that hard work will pay off, responsibility will be rewarded, and that everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share and plays by the same rules,” Schiebli said.

Obama’s appearance comes just three days before the election as both Republican candidate Mitt Romney and Obama know how important Ohio is to each’s chance for victory.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, R-Ohio, will begin a statewide get-out-the-vote bus tour on Saturday in support of Romney, Josh Mandel and Ohio Republicans running for Congress.

Boehner will appear at Lake County Republican Party headquarters in Painesville for an event that begins at 6 p.m.

At each stop, Boehner will thank volunteers, tout local candidates, and draw a clear contrast between Romney’s plan to create jobs.

State Rep. Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, will also give a speech at the Boehner event in Painesville and he plans to discuss the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and this year’s elections.

In-person absentee voting is set to conclude Monday as voters may go to their respective county elections boards from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.

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

There are just nine days left until the Nov. 6 election and it’s been a long campaign season.

For many political folks, this election cycle has been the longest in memory, effectively beginning more than a year ago when Republican presidential hopefuls started their campaigns.

In Ohio, the filing deadline for partisan races was 11 months ago, with the filing deadline just weeks after the November election. Many local campaigns kicked off shortly afterward.

Ohio has a reputation as a swing state and that is reflected by the enormous amount of advertising — much of it negative — conducted during the presidential campaign and the tight race for U.S. Senate between incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican.

With 18 electoral votes at stake, Ohio continues to be a central focus for incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney. We’ve seen more than five dozen visits from presidential campaigns during this election cycle in Ohio.

That’s because both sides know how critical the state could be for victory, especially since no GOP nominee has ever been elected president without carrying Ohio. No Democrat has done so since 1960 when President John F. Kennedy was elected.

There are only a handful of states considered by polls to be a toss up —  Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. Most other states are considered to lean or be solidly in one candidate’s corner.

With that in mind, for months Ohio airwaves have been flooded with commercials and continuous coverage by national talk shows and news media that dissect every bit of the presidential campaign and that includes the three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.

This all continues even as many people have made up their mind in Ohio because absentee voting by mail and in-person began Oct. 2. Nearly two million voters in the state have already utilized this option, reports Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.

Many local candidates have concluded or will soon wrap up their fundraising and now concentrate on using their remaining time and resources to let people know just a little bit more about them with the hope they’ll remember their name at the polls.

There’s been a lot of knocking on doors, parade marching, phone calls, literature drops and candidate forums and debates.

That election season is slowly coming to a close and soon it will be time to learn just how all that effort pays off.

J.C. Watts appearing in Mentor

Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts, of Oklahoma, a former college football quarterback and conservative Republican, speaks today in Mentor with the Concerned Veterans for America bus tour titled, “We Can Do Better”.

The event will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Mentor Civic Center Amphitheater as part of a 10-day East Coast bus tour of decorated military veterans traveling through campaign “swing states” prior to Election Day to generate awareness of the mounting challenges facing service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and veterans of all generations.

The bus tour, sponsored by Concerned Veterans for America will allow veterans and voters in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ohio and across the nation to hear directly from leaders in the veterans’ community about critical issues.

Candidate event

Soup and crackers lunch with David M. Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, 11:30 to 1 p.m. Monday at Surfside Towers Party Room in Eastlake.

Candidate endorsements

For any Nov. 6 candidates who have earned endorsements (not from The News-Herald), feel free to email them or fax them. Because of the volume and space required to list them, these items will not be printed in this column. Instead, they’ll be posted periodically until Nov. 2 on The News-Herald’s Northern Ohio Politics Blog at NorthernOhioLocalPolitics.blogspot.com.

Deadline reminder

The weekly deadline for information to appear in this column is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Email or fax is preferred.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Bob Patterson, candidate for Lake County treasurer, announced he has received endorsement by Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.

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

With about six weeks to go until the Nov. 6 election, many voters now start to pay attention.

Unless you live under a rock though, most everyone knows that President Barack Obama seeks re-election and the Republican challenger is Mitt Romney.

The race for U.S. Senate in Ohio pits incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, against Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican.

But what many people don’t realize is there are other people running for these positions as well. They come from “minor” parties or are nonpartisan. A lot of times when a voter goes to cast his or her ballot they might think ‘Who are these people?’”.

In Ohio, there actually are seven candidates on the ballot for president including Obama and Romney. The other five are Stewart Alexander, Socialist; Richard Duncan, nonpartisan; Virgil Goode, Constitution; Gary Johnson, Libertarian; and Jill Stein, Green Party.

For the U.S. Senate race, Scott A. Rupert is a nonpartisan candidate on the ballot running against Brown and Mandel.

There are four people on the Nov. 6 ballot for Ohio’s 14th Congressional District. You know, the one from which U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette decided to retire.

They are Democrat Dale Virgil Blanchard, Republican David P. Joyce, Libertarian David Macko, and Green Party candidate Elaine R. Mastromatteo.

So why do minor parties or nonpartisan candidates run when it seems so often they don’t win or have a realistic chance?

Minor party or nonpartisan candidates who run in partisan contests usually want their voice to be heard. They also want to offer voters another choice.

Perhaps their platform is a combination of what the major parties offer or maybe what they believe and stand for is far different than the mainstream and they want people to know about it.

However, it can be difficult to get that message out because so often it takes money and/or name recognition to accomplish that.

Whenever free opportunities for publicity are provided they must take advantage of that, such as a newspaper like The News-Herald asking candidates to return an election questionnaire. For this election, each of the four 14th Congressional District candidates did that.

Mastromatteo and Macko also plan to conduct their own “Third Party Candidate” debate at 7 p.m. Thursday at Elm Street School in Painesville.

Events

n John and Terri Hamila of Eastlake host an meet and greet 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for candidates David Fiebig, John Hamercheck, Bob Patterson, Lori DiNallo and John Eklund.

n The Western Reserve Women’s Republican Club hosts a luncheon at the Hillbrook Club in Russell Township on Friday with Joyce as featured speaker. Contact Mary Ellen Schron.

Candidate forums

n The News-Herald, League of Women Voters, and Lake County Chambers of Commerce will co-host a forum for the four Lake County commissioner candidates at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lake Erie College in Painesville.

n Painesville Area Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual luncheon with candidates and issue representatives Friday at Hellriegel’s Inn in Painesville Township.

n The League of Women Voters of Geauga County will host four candidates nights: 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at West Geauga High School, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Geauga County Senior Center in Claridon Township, 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at Chardon Middle School, and 7 p.m. Oct. 17 at Kenston School in Auburn Township.

Fundies

n Fundraiser for John Patterson, candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 99, with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan as featured speaker, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at Grotto Hall in Ashtabula Township. See Michael Triozzi.

n Heidi and Jamie Callender will host a fundraiser for Ohio House of Representative Republican candidates in Lake and Geauga counties, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at their home in Concord Township. See Heidi.

n Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy hosts his Fall Classic and Clam Bake, 12:30 p.m. shotgun start, 5 p.m. dinner Oct. 1 at Lost Nation Municipal Golf Course in Willoughby. See Troy or Kip Molenaar.

n Werner Barthol, candidate for Lake County prosecutor, hosting Oktoberfest 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5 at Lake Metroparks Painesville Township Park Community Center/Ballroom. See Kelly Barthol or James Falvey.

n Fall clambake for John Rogers, candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 60, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at Mentor Beach Park in Mentor-on-the-Lake. See Rogers or John Crocker.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

One look at the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio between incumbent Sherrod Brown and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel appears to show a narrowing gap between the two candidates.

A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of 500 likely voters in Ohio conducted May 29 shows Brown with 47 percent support to Mandel’s 42 percent.

Three percent prefer some other candidate, and 7 percent are undecided. The poll’s margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by NBC News/Marist College on May 17-20 shows Brown with a 51-37 advantage over Mandel. It also showed 18 percent remained undecided. That poll surveyed 1,103 registered voters.

Yes, it’s way too early to rely on polls to predict whether the Democratic senator Brown is re-elected to a second term or if the Republican challenger Mandel will unseat him. Some may even say that those who conduct these polls may lean toward one side of the political spectrum.

But it is interesting to note that the race is most likely going to come down to the wire, and both candidates are working to get their messages out to the public.

Each side also trades jabs, as Brown’s campaign continues to criticize Mandel’s performance as treasurer, and Mandel continues to attack Brown, calling him “part of a problem in Washington.”

Millions of dollars will be invested in the race, so it takes a little bit of fundraising to keep things going.

Brown’s campaign recently pointed out that more than $6.5 million has been spent by third parties against Brown. Thus, the senator’s campaign is doing what it can to raise its own money to counter and appealed to supporters for contributions while noting the Rasmussen poll results.

This past week, Brown hosted actor/activist Martin Sheen at a meet-and-greet event for campaign supporters and volunteers at the Tricounty Regional Labor Council in Akron.

Sheen, a native of the Dayton area, has played numerous roles on the big screen and television, including starring as President Josiah Bartlett for seven seasons on “The West Wing.”

Sheen’s appearance drew some attention, as the Mandel campaign responded with an email calling for supporters to donate to “Help us fight the Hollywood elites.”

In his message, Mandel said he stands with blue collar men and women and criticized Brown, whom Mandel said stands with “Hollywood elites.”

As the race toward Nov. 6 draws nearer, it’s safe to say the airways and media will be flooded even more with campaign ads from these two candidates.

Deadlines

The weekly deadline to submit information for consideration into this column is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. The preferred method is by email or fax. Have a fund-raiser? Send it in weeks ahead of time.

On the radio

I’ll be appearing on WELW-AM 1330 on Tuesday at 8:18 a.m. to discuss local and state politics. Tune in.

Fundies

n Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap, 21st annual golf outing and steak dinner Friday at Painesville Country Club. See Frank Leonbruno or Sheryl DePledge.

n Jason Wuliger, candidate for Lake County recorder, hosts pasta dinner with special guest U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 12 at Cebars Madison Tavern in Madison Township. See Dick Shreve or Pete Wayman.

n Lake County Coroner Dr. Lynn Smith hosts a picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. June 21 at Painesville Elks Club. See Ronald Taddeo or Jan Swetel.

n Bob Patterson, candidate for Lake County treasurer, fundraiser with special guest state Sen. John Eklund, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 28 at Historic Perkins Estate in Mentor. See Sandy Patterson.

n Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik annual golf outing, shotgun start at 1 p.m. June 29 at Briardale Greens Golf Course, Euclid. See Beth Cervenik or Michael Gallagher.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

The race in Ohio for U.S. Senate is one of the most hotly contested races in the country, and a lot of money will be spent during this campaign.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Lorain County Democrat, faces Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Cuyahoga County Republican.

I had the chance to sit down Wednesday morning with Mandel to talk about his new jobs plan and his campaign after he spoke to a Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce group.

Mandel said he doesn’t support the bailout of Wall Street banks using taxpayer money.

When asked, Mandel stated he didn’t have a position on the auto industry bailout because he was a state representative at that time.

Brown’s campaign spokesman Justin Barasky responded Thursday during an interview that either Mandel is “lying or at least unbelievably ignorant.”

Barasky said Mandel has taken positions on the auto bailout and told the Youngstown Vindicator in March that he felt it didn’t work.

Mandel said he is developing a platform to create a better environment for restoring manufacturing jobs and an important component is the auto industry.

The campaign has seen a lot of negative advertising already on both sides, although Mandel said his campaign has run a completely positive campaign.

He was quick to point out that ads attacking Brown have come from third-party groups. He said that by law, his campaign must not have any dealings with such groups.

The Brown campaign said that after allowing negative ads against Brown to run for more than a year they had no choice but to start responding with their own negative ads.

Barasky said to this point more than $6.5 million has been spent on third-party advertising against Brown, the most against any candidate.

I wonder what all this negative advertising will mean with slightly less than six months until the election. Will it continue or even escalate? How much will people pay attention?

President Barack Obama recently brought the issue of gay marriage to the forefront and it remains to be seen how the issue might resonate with voters in November.

Mandel believes in traditional marriage between one man and one woman. Brown’s position is one of marriage equality.

Barasky believes the race will come down to whom the voters can trust to do the right thing, what side of the issues one is on, and the Brown campaign will continue to be critical of Mandel’s performance as treasurer specifically citing Mandel’s lack of attendance at state Board of Deposit meetings.

Mandel said much of the nation’s problems have stemmed from Washington, including Democrats and Republicans, and he believes it’s time for a new generation of leaders to be elected who can stand up to their own party’s leaders to do the right thing economically and for the country.

Geauga Republican Party update

Geauga County Commissioner Bill Young retires effective June 30, and his term expires Dec. 31, 2014. Is Geauga County Commissioner Mary Samide the front runner for an appointment to replace Young? She lost her re-election bid for the GOP nomination to Ralph Spidalieri during the March 6 Republican primary, but she is still fundraising.

Fundies

n Werner Barthol, candidate for Lake County prosecutor, hosts a Summer Celebration Fundraiser 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 1 at Lake Metroparks Painesville Township Park. See James Falvey or Kelly Barthol.

n Fundraiser for Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge Forrest Burt, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 1 at the Bond Building, Century Village Museum in Burton. See Carol Stafford.

n Old Fashioned Country Picnic for Samide, 4:30 to 7 p.m. June 8 at S.O.S. Inc., in Munson Township. See Jackie Moskal.

n Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap, 21st annual golf outing and steak dinner June 8 at Painesville Country Club. See Frank Leonbruno or Sheryl DePledge.

n Jason Wuliger, candidate for Lake County recorder, hosts pasta dinner with special guest U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 12 at Cebars Madison Tavern, Madison Township. See Dick Shreve or Pete Wayman.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

In a bit of a surprise, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell recently announced that he will not seek the Republican Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate next year.

So far, the only announced candidate for the GOP is former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin of Cuyahoga Falls.

However, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a former state representative and Lyndhurst councilman, has formed a committee with the Federal Elections Commission and is raising money for a potential candidacy.

A report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer stated that Mandel has already raised $2.34 million for the race.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has about $3.5 million in the bank but has had more time to raise funds, the report states.

Mandel, who was elected treasurer in November, has not announced he intends to run for U.S. Senate.

But all indications seem to point toward him entering the race as the Ohio Democratic Party continues to take his candidacy seriously.

Blackwell made his announcement on Twitter after he talked with The Daily Caller, a national news website.

In the report, Blackwell outlined four reasons why he didn’t want to run.

Here’s what he said:

• “Running would require me to make ‘nice’ with folks with whom I would rather not.”

• “After serving as Mayor, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State, I much prefer executive office over a legislative office.”
• “Since I have always said that I would not personally engage in campaigning for elective office past age 70, I could not and would not run for re-election if successful this time. I believe to get done what needs to be done in the U.S. Senate, the next senator needs to make a two-term commitment. I cannot.”
• “The encouragement and commitment I received from movement conservatives and donors in Ohio and from across the country were substantial, and a source of political strength that the GOP establishment has never been able to grasp.”

With Blackwell apparently out of the picture, it certainly opens the door a bit wider for Coughlin, who may face more of a challenge for support statewide since he has not won a statewide office like Mandel or Brown has.

Mandel has served as state treasurer for only seven months, so how will voters respond if he does decide to run for U.S. Senate?

Party time

Both political parties in Geauga County have planned picnic events next Sunday afternoon.

Coughlin will be the featured keynote speaker as the Geauga County Republican Party and Geauga County Republican Women host a picnic from 2 to 6 p.m. at Patterson Farms in Chester Township. For more information, see Dorothy Fromhercz.

The Geauga County Democratic Party and political action committee We Are Ohio will host a picnic from 1 to 4 p.m. at the party’s headquarters in Newbury Township. The event is designed to thank volunteers who support local activities year round and the SB5 Repeal campaign. See Terri McIntee Larnas.

Candidate filings
Cindy Quinn-Hopkins announced she filed petitions with the Lake County Elections Board to run as a candidate for Eastlake Council Ward 3. The filing deadline for Eastlake Council candidates is Friday.

Fundies

• Fundraiser for Mentor Councilwoman at Large Janet Dowling from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Branding Iron Cookhouse in Mentor. See Rick Zaleski or Dowling.
• Picnic in the Park for Quinn-Hopkins from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Surfside Park in Eastlake. See Jim Hopkins.
• Campaign kickoff reception for Jack Johnson, candidate for Euclid mayor, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Tizzano’s Party Center in Euclid. See Frank Ilcin.
• Fundraiser for Jamie Callender, candidate for Ohio Senate, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 26 at the Matchworks Tavern in Mentor. See Emilee Tereszuk or Heidi Callender.
• Kirtland Councilman Doug Davidson, a candidate for mayor, hosts a cocktail reception from 7 to 10 p.m. July 28 at a private residence. See John Grazia, Phil Rini or Gina Davidson.
• Lake County Commissioner Robert E. Aufuldish hosts eighth annual Ferrante Winery Celebration from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at Ferrante Winery and Ristorante in Harpersfield Township. See Ernie Koenig or Kathie Aufuldish-Freshour.

-- John Arthur Hutchison | JHutchison@News-Herald.com | @newsheraldjah

Josh Mandel

Sherrod Brown

The Democratic Party announced Monday that U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown raised $1.3 million in the first quarter of this year to defend his seat in next year's November election (and, Brown has $2.5 million in cash on hand).

Then on Tuesday, Democrats criticized Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (a Republican) for announcing he would like to run against Brown for the spot in the U.S. Senate. Mandel was elected in November and has been serving in office for fewer than four months.

Election campaigning sure starts early. Not only does Brown already have a good amount of money for his re-election campaign, but it also seems that the Democrats are ready to come out swinging against a Republican who wants to unseat him.

Should Mandel stay in his seat or run for Senate? Vote in our poll at News-Herald.com/Opinion.

How long until the election?



-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

The controversial new state law that strips some collective bargaining rights for public workers in Ohio — known as Senate Bill 5 — has fired up Democrats.

In addition to drafting plans to gather at least 231,149 valid signatures to repeal the law this fall, the legislation has also galvanized some Democrats to propose legislation to allow voters to recall the governor and Ohio General Assembly members.

With the GOP controlling both chambers of the Legislature and Republican Gov. John Kasich in power, the measure has little chance to pass.

It would be interesting to hear the banter on this issue, but I’ll be surprised if the proposal has more than one committee hearing, if there is one at all.

But Democratic sponsors said Ohioans should have the opportunity. Republican leaders counter that regular elections are the proper way to remove unpopular elected officials from office.

Although the Democratic efforts might be inspired by him, Kasich told statehouse reporters this week that the proposal is simply politics at play and his focus is on fixing the state’s problems.

Recalls are neither new nor unprecedented across the country.

Other states have recall procedures in place, such as in Wisconsin, where 16 state senators are under scrutiny after a law to change collective bargaining was passed.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, was elected in 2003 after a recall of Democrat Gray Davis.

Ohio law does not recognize recall elections. Elected officials can only be removed if they do something illegal or conduct misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance.

That means state and county elected officials and judges are exempt from recalls.

However, chartered communities can utilize recall elections if they so choose.

For example, Eastlake voters in November overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment that clarified recall procedures for any elected official in the city.

Petitions need to be signed by at least 20 percent of the voters in a ward who cast ballots in the last municipal election for a ward councilman or 20 percent of voters citywide for the mayor or a councilman at large.

The city has some history with recalls as former Eastlake Councilwoman Lynn Moon Curtis was recalled during a special election in Dec. 2004.

Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik survived a recall election in July 2005 after petitions were submitted by a citizen action group, the Euclid Recall Awareness Committee.

Running in Geauga?

The latest people to have taken out candidacy petitions for the Nov. 8 election from the Geauga County Elections Board are:

Alan Preston for Cardinal Board of Education; David Fairbanks and Jack McCaskey for Chardon Board of Education; Kenneth Zwolinski for Troy Township trustee; Cindy Lausin for Thompson Township fiscal officer;  Irene McMullen for Munson Township trustee; Keith McClintock for Hambden Township trustee; Chuck Strazinsky for Chardon Township trustee; Joan Windnagel for Chardon Township fiscal officer; and Karen Austin for Chester Township fiscal officer.

Lake GOP Lincoln Day dinner

The Lake County Republican Party will host a Lincoln Day Dinner and Silent Auction April 20 starting at 6 p.m. at the American Croatian Lodge in Eastlake.

Keynote speaker is Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.

See Dale Fellows or call the county GOP headquarters.

Fundies

n Mayor Mark Tyler of Kirtland will host a Gathering of Friends, 5:30 to 7:30, Thursday at Dino’s Restaurant on Route 306. See Rick Blum or Sandy Tyler.

n Concord Township Trustee Connie Luhta will host a fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., April 28 at Hellriegel’s Inn in Painesville Township. See Chris Galloway, Paul Malchesky or Luhta.

n Willoughby Hills Council President Kevin Malecek: Annual Cinco De Mayo party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 5, Willoughby Hills Community Center. See Katherine Malecek or Nora Colburn

n Kirtland Councilman Doug Davidson, a candidate for Kirtland mayor: Meet the Candidate Night from 7 to 9 p.m. May 11, Kirtlander Party Center. See Jim Yarborough or Gina Davidson.

John Arthur Hutchison’s column appears Sundays in The News-Herald. View it online at www.northernohiolocalpolitics.blogspot.com.

JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Most branches of government are facing tough tasks putting together their budgets, and Lake County commissioners are no exception.

Due to decreased revenues, some elected county officials and department heads have had to utilize staff furloughs, announce layoffs, leave vacant positions unfilled and consider shortening office hours.

Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap recently laid off two deputies. The Elections Board will implement furlough days, and potentially consider other cost-cutting options, because there is a $130,000 difference between what the department requests and what commissioners propose.

The reasons for the declining revenues?

Interest earnings in 2008 provided the county with $6.9 million. But rates remain at historically low levels, meaning revenue dipped to $4 million in 2009 and shrunk to $2.18 million for 2010 as higher returning investments came off the book. This revenue is projected to provide $1.25 million this year.

Collections from annual property taxes have dropped because property valuations that determine how much one’s home and land are worth declined two years ago by 10 percent in the county — and aren’t likely to rise when the triennial update is completed next year.

Sales tax revenues are the county’s biggest source of revenue, and collections have remained flat. Sales taxes generated  $14,524,182 in 2009, $14,519,064 in 2010, and is projected to be around $14.1 million this year.

The only controllable option commissioners have to increase revenue is to raise the county’s sales tax. The idea is unpopular and not one commissioners are seriously considering.

Should the commissioners ever change their mind, there’s a process they would have to follow to do so.

How it would work

Ohio law permits county commissioners to levy additional sales tax by increments of a quarter of 1 percent by adopting a resolution that generally must state the tax’s purpose and how long it would be in effect.

Two public hearings would need to be conducted before passing the resolution. The second hearing must be held not less than three days, nor more than 10 days, after the first.

In the resolution, commissioners may — but are not required to — direct the Elections Board to ask voters whether to approve the increase.

If the resolution is passed as a non-emergency measure, commissioners must pass it by at least a 2-1 vote and the question may be submitted to the Elections Board 90 days before the election.

If the resolution is adopted as an emergency measure deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, it must receive a unanimous vote and it needs to state the reasons for such necessity.

Voters can use a referendum to prevent a non-emergency tax from going into effect 30 days after the resolution is passed. An emergency tax is not subject to a referendum, but voters can decide to repeal it by petition.

The petition would need to be filed at least 75 days before the general election in any year and must be signed by at least 10 percent of the voters who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election.

If a tax were to be repealed by voters, it would be effective after the current year.

Announcements, endorsements

Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman announced he will seek a third term in office this November.
 

Coleman cites support and endorsements from U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, state Sen. Tim Grendell, Mayfield Heights Mayor Greg Costabile, Mayfield Village Mayor Bruce Rinker, Gates Mills Mayor Connie White, Lyndhurst Mayor Joe Cicero, Richmond Heights Mayor Dan Ursu, Willoughby Hills Mayor Robert Weger and South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo.

Fundies

Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy: Mardi Gras Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Holiday Inn Express LaMalfa Centre in Mentor. See Kip Molenaar.
 

Jamie Callender, candidate for Ohio Senate: Mardi Gras party, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Quail Hollow Inn in Concord Township. See Jamie or Heidi Callender.

Lake Commissioner Robert E. Aufuldish: St. Patrick’s Day celebration from 5 to 7:30 p.m. March 17 at Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites LaMalfa in Mentor. See Kathie Aufuldish-Freshour or Ernie Koenig.

Willoughby Hills Councilman David M. Fiebig: Spring Fever party, 5 to 7 p.m., March 22 at Willoughby Hills Community Center. See Joyce Hribar Fiebig.

John Arthur Hutchison’s column appears Sundays in The News-Herald. View it online at www.northernohiolocalpolitics.blogspot.com.

JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah