There is a real chance that Ohio may host both the Republican and Democratic national conventions in 2016.

The Democratic National Committee on Nov. 24 announced Columbus is one of three finalists under consideration to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

The other two finalists are New York and Philadelphia while the cities of Phoenix and Birmingham dropped off the list. The DNC also announced the potential weeks for convention are the weeks of July 18, July 25, and August 22. The DNC plans to announce a final city and date early next year.
The announcement comes after a round of site visits by the DNC’s Technical Advisory Group to five cities.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, was pleased by the DNC’s choice to include Columbus as one of three finalists.

“Columbus is a world-class, walkable city with great facilities and accommodations – all making it the ideal host for the 2016 Democratic Convention,” Brown said in a statement. “The convention will give the city a platform to display our state’s diverse and innovative capital city. I look forward to working with the city’s leaders to make history and bring the convention to Ohio.”

Earlier this year, Cleveland was selected to be the host city for the Republican National Convention in 2016.

So it could mean Ohio is even more important in the process to select the next president of the United States.

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

Well, it’s over — at least for now.

Federal lawmakers came to an agreement Wednesday night to fully reopen the federal government and to also avoid a threatened national default.

The deal will fund the government through Jan. 15 and allow the Treasury to borrow normally through Feb. 7.

Let’s hope that those in Washington can learn from what has transpired the past few weeks and be able to find bipartisan solutions to the big problems our country faces.

That was also a similar feeling former President Bill Clinton expressed when he visited Cleveland on Thursday to speak at Cuyahoga County Community College Foundation Presidential Scholarship Luncheon.

Clinton shared that he felt relief that the situation was over in part because of the political drama that had been created and he believes the country’s reputation has suffered internationally because of it.

The former president has a perspective that only a few can share because he was in office the last time the federal government was shut down.

Although many believe Clinton benefitted politically and that it helped him get re-elected to a second term, he said that threat of a government shutdown is not the right way to govern.

Even though it was a last minute agreement with little choice and time left, a bipartisan agreement was reached.

When looking at the final roll call, eight of Ohio’s 16 members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the deal including Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Russell Township, and Marcia L. Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights. Both Ohio U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, and Rob Portman, R-Cincinnati, voted to approve the deal.

A Washington-based television reporter asked President Barack Obama that same night after he delivered remarks prior to the House voting on the deal whether he expected the drama to return in a few months when the next deadlines arise and the president simply said “no” before exiting the room.

It would make sense for Congress to work together to put forth a budget for Obama to sign. Is that really too much to ask?

The policy of adopting continuing resolutions to fund the federal government doesn’t seem to accomplish much except to keep things status quo.

Quite frankly, there has to be a better way for our elected officials to govern.

Maybe it took the country’s nearly falling financially off a cliff to make that point clear.

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.

Deadline reminder

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

Jefferson-Jackson dinner

The Lake County Democratic Party hosts its annual Jefferson-Jackson starting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Patrician Party Center in Eastlake. Featured guests include Ohio Attorney General candidate David Pepper and former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Event

Ward L. Kinney, candidate for Chester Township trustee, hosts a meet and greet event 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 27 at Geauga West Library in Chester Township.

Fundies

n Lake County Recorder Ann M. Radcliffe hosts spaghetti dinner fundraiser 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Park Road Grill in Painesville Township. See Terri Conley.

n Arlene Becks, candidate for Painesville Council at large, hosts Three Pasta Entrée Buffet fundraiser with special guests state Sen. Nina Turner and state Rep. John Rogers, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 22 at Painesville Elk’s Lounge. See Becks, Trudy Simmons or L.K. Williams.

n Tom Fitzgerald, candidate for Painesville Council Jan. 1 term, hosts an open house fundraiser, 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 23, at his home in Painesville. See Debra Fitzgerald or Janet Clair.

n Chuck Brickman, candidate for Willoughby Council at large, hosts a fundraiser, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Wild Goose in Willoughby. See Brickman.

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

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

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

Alex Penler of Chagrin Falls is serving as a legislative intern in U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Capitol Hill office. Penler is currently pursuing a degree in political science and history at St. Mary’s College.

“Ohio students – like Alex – exemplify how strong families, teachers, and Ohio communities continue to produce the next generation of world-class leaders,” Brown said. “An internship allows students from either Ohio schools or Ohio communities to serve their state while gaining invaluable experience by working on a wide range of projects.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I really love what I am doing and am proud to work for Sen. Sherrod Brown,” Penler said.

Interns work alongside staff members to address constituent requests and concerns. In Washington, D.C., a typical day could include speaking with constituents on the phone, greeting visitors to the office, organizing incoming correspondence, attending Senate committee hearings and briefings, and leading tours of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Students may earn college credit in addition to the educational benefit and professional development opportunities.

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

President Barack Obama will visit Lorain Community College in Elyria on Wednesday and will deliver remarks on the economy at 2:30 p.m. at the College Center, the Lorain Morning Journal reports.

Obama also visited the college in 2010 as part of his White House to Main Street Tour.

It looks like the president again targets Ohio as a place to make news.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Lorain also is the home county for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is up for re-election this year. Brown battles Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who won the Republican Party primary last month.

Obama’s campaign also opened up a campaign office last week in Mentor, so the president’s re-election campaign is in full swing in Northeast Ohio.

Lately, the president has also urged Congress to pass the Buffett Rule, which he says asks those who make more than $1 million a year to pay at least the same percentage of their income in taxes as middle class families — as a principle of fairness.

In a statement, the Republican National Committee blasted the president’s proposal.

“After nearly a full term in office, Barack Obama’s only economic message seems to be the Buffett Tax Hike which is nothing more than a shiny object that would fail to raise enough money to even fund the government for a day,” the statement said. “Instead of pushing a purely political gimmick that does nothing to put people back to work, Barack Obama should get serious addressing unacceptably high unemployment, rising costs at the pump, and increasing health care premiums that continue to weigh on Ohio family budgets.”

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

See how U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending May 20, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110520

The U.S. House of Representatives was in recess this week.


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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending May 13, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110513


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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending May 6, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110506


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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending April 15, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110415


Ohio in Congress, 20110415, 2


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

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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending April 8, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110408


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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending April 1, 2011:

Ohio In Congress, 20110401

Ohio in Congress, 20110401, 2


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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending March 18, 2011:

OhioInCongress20110318


Ohio in Congress, 20110318, 2


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

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending March 11, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110311


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