Ohio House 24th: Celeste (D) Campaign Kickoff July 8th

As reported in the Columbus Dispatch and over at Buckeye State Blog, former governor Richard Celeste (served 1983-91, now President of Colorado College) will headline a fundraiser and campaign kickoff for his brother, Ohio House 24th District candidate Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights), this Saturday, July 8, from 4 to 8 at the home of Nancy Kramer in Grandview, Ohio.

This is definitely a race to watch. The Dispatch story says the 24th District "could be the most competitive legislative race in Franklin County this year." As a friend noted in an email, that is a very interesting statement, since the nearby 21st District is an open seat being contested by two first-timers, Dean Hernandez (D) and Kevin Bacon (R), where the Republican incumbent won with less than 55% of the vote and Kerry got 52% in 2004. In the 24th District, incumbent Geoffrey C. Smith defeated tavern owner Pat Byrne with 60.15% of the vote in 2002, when Byrne ran as a Democrat, and 56.35% of the vote in 2004, when Byrne ran as an independent. Ted Celeste has huge name recognition thanks to his brother, who was a state representative and lieutenant governor as well as governor. In their post-primary campaign finance filings, Smith and Celeste reported almost equal cash on hand ($35,064.62 and $35,341.65, respectively), and Celeste is running an aggressive and energetic campaign. He hopes to raise $10,000 or more from the Saturday event, according to the Dispatch article.

The suggested contributions are $100 for adults and $25 for children. To RSVP or for more information, contact Katy Gaudioso at katy-at-tedceleste-dot-com.