The Primary Election is now in the books. For some, it was a resounding success. For others it was a sound defeat. And for Kevin Haddad, well, we’d just as soon forget about Mr. Last Place once and for all. But we fear he still hasn’t gotten the message and will foolishly appear on some future ballot.
Anyhoo, Haddad wasn’t the only who fell from grace on the Ides of March. The regular contenders for control of the Lucas County Republican Party faced off in a fight over who should represent their district in the state GOP. Bill Delaney, erstwhile tavern owner, who scoffs at the idea that a vote of the people should trump his own crusty imaginings, took on Jon Stainbrook, current head and guiding light of the local party.
These two have wrestled over control of the local party recently. In the direct vote of Republican primary voters, Delaney won handily. Does this mean he’s the new GOP darling, despite the fact that he’s actually quite old?
Nope. Doesn’t work that way. Control of the local party is determined by the vote of the county central committee, a body dominated by rabid devotees of the Stain. He might have been rejected for a seat at the state table, but Stainbrook will likely remain a thorn in Columbus’ side as local party chair.
Hey, hey, Paula
In other results, Mayor Paula HH should be very nervous. She staked her claim on a proposed income tax increase to fix crumbling streets and hire more police. She did so with no real campaign. She didn’t raise much money either. She gave speeches at senior centers, places where there is no guarantee the denizens reside in Toledo, let alone actually vote in primaries there.
The proposal failed nearly two-to-one. Paula blamed it on poor targeting. She said a bunch of miscreants had the temerity to vote in the primary when the campaign didn’t think they would.
We got news, Paula. Your campaign was invisible, unfocused, and undercapitalized. You didn’t get your message out. No one really understood the need, and no one trusted your administration enough to simply give you more money.
No campaign, no fund-raising, no trust. Your re-election foes are licking their chops for twenty seventeen.
You know who should be really, really nervous, though? The LC Dems. The failure of the tax increase is only the beginning. The comparison of this year’s result with two thousand eight should give ‘em pause.
Seismic shift
In March of oh eight, the last fully contested presidential primary, over one-hundred-thirty thousand living souls pulled primary ballots in Lucas County. Of those, about one hundred thousand pulled ballots with a big blue “D,” while less then one quarter that number pulled one with a red “R.” Incumbent Commissioner Pete Gerken got over fifty thousand votes in the primary that year, and went on to get over one hundred forty two thousand in November. He had no opponent.
This year? Total voter registration in Lucas County is slightly lower, and only about one hundred ten thousand souls went to the polls. But a good fifty two thousand declared as voting for the GOP. A scant fifty seven thousand asked for the big blue “D.” And although there were nearly forty four thousand votes on the “D” side for commissioner, Gerken got only thirty one thousand votes. The rest went to the Nightmare in Spencer Township star, Mike Hood.
What gives? Have the voters really shifted that far from D to R? That’s extremely unlikely. Did voters cross over to the dark side to beat back the specter of The Donald? Maybe. Ohio Governor John Kasich won the county on the R side. But why would anyone but his closest relatives vote for Hood? Is Gerken’s star fading?
Thousands more voters cast a ballot for a Democratic candidate for commissioner than voted for Mikey P. Bellbottoms. It might all just be much ado about nothing.
If we were Gerken, we wouldn’t be so sure.
And if we were residing over at 1817 Mad Ave, the headquarters of the Lucas County Democratic Party, we would be scratching our heads, licking our wounds, and getting out into the neighborhoods to make sure there isn’t a November surprise in Lucas County.
