Ohio House 61st: Okey (D) Web Site Up

I have just learned that 61st Ohio House District candidate Mark Okey (D-Carrollton) now has a campaign web site up, and it looks very sharp. Okey, a Canton attorney, is running for the House seat vacated by popular incumbent Rep. John Boccieri (D-New Middletown), who is running for the 33rd Ohio Senate District seat of term-limited incumbent Sen. Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown).

Okey comes from a family that has a long history of public service, including relatives who have been judges, county officals, a Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, and two members of the Ohio House of Representatives. He has practiced law in partnership with his father for 30 years, and also manages the family farm operation (producing soybeans and corn), and he's an avid outdoorsman. On his site he stresses improving education, helping working families (including raising the minimum wage), affordable health care, helping Ohio farmers, protecting senior citizens, and hunting and fishing issues (protecting gun ownership and preserving natural resources). I intend to look into this race and this candidate in much greater depth in a future post.

Okey is opposed by former County Auditor Brant Luther (R-Alliance), who squeaked by repeat candidate Randy Pope (R) in the Republican primary by 13 votes out of 8,019 cast. The 61st District is in Carroll, Mahoning, Tuscarawas and Stark Counties. Boccieri won re-election against Pope in 2004 with 65.66% of the vote.