OH House & Senate

This story in the Columbus Dispatch today confirms that Sue Morano (D), a registered nurse, will run again in OH Sen-13. She lost last time by only 500 votes or so to Jeffry Armbruster (R-North Ridgeville), who is now term-limited.

The article quotes ODP Chair Chris Redfern as predicting that Democrats would pick up four seats in the Ohio House if the election were held today. That would result in a 56-43 split. Kris Long, chief of staff for the Senate Democrats, is reportedly optimistic about picking up one to three seats in November, which would mean at best a 30-14 split. So, at this point Democratic leaders are predicting modest gains at best.

Personally, I think the ODP ought to be scrambling to field a viable candidate in every single Senate and House race. I don't accept that the failure of the Reform Ohio Now ballot issues means the public thinks the corruption among Ohio Republicans isn't real, or that Republicans are doing a good job running the state. The public simply didn't like the amendments, period: too long, too confusing, too many conflicting claims on the airwaves, too much opposition from Democrats. When I was going door to door in support of RON, it seemed like everyone I talked to agreed that state government is a stinking cesspool of graft, and that Taft ought to be in jail. All of this by way of saying that I believe a dramatic surge of support for Democrats in November is possible.