Ohio Secretary of State

[erpowers]

Is there any chance there could be a democratic Secretary of State in Ohio?

[MrUnderhill]

1. Blackwell's term is up in 2006.

Though right now it appears he's running for governor.

He won pretty handily in 2002 (1.83 Million to 1.26 Million). Whether he is vulnerable if he runs for reelection will be a factor of how he is perceived after all of this business is concluded.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

2. Blackwell is Term-Limited as S.O.S.

He's at the end of his second term and looking for a new job (governor). Problem is that Jim Petro (Ohio Attorney General) has his eyes on the same job.

A best case scenario (which seems pretty likely) is that Petro will get the Republican nomination for governor and former Treasurer and part-time crook Joe Deters will run for Attorney General. Blackwell will retire to Cincinnati and comsume his body-weight in Oreo's -- or get appointed Deputy Undersecretary of Self-Loathing by the Bush Administration.

This scenario gives the Democrats multiple opportunities if the State Party can exploit them. Petro has been a do-nothing Attorney General who spent most of the past four years running for governor. Deters is an unconvicted felon who richly deserves the thrashing he could receive from an aggressive Democratic opponent. And the Treasurer's Office, which Deters left last month, will be basically an open seat. Only Auditor Betty Montgomery -- who will likely be seeking a second term -- seems reasonably safe from what Republicans might remember as the "Shitstorm of 2006."

Let's make it happen!

[Kolesar]

3. Dems need candidates

I would expect Fingerhut to run for something statewide again--maybe the Senate race. Plusquellic hinted at running for Governor. Sherrod Brown is on the committee he wants and I would not expect him to run for another office.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

4. Strickland is testing the waters...

Holding a series of informal meetings around the state to meet with party workers. I think he'd be a winner - a Democrat who can win in rural areas.