Statewide Races: News and Notes

Catching up on today's news in Ohio's statewide races:

Governor: The Zogby/Wall Street Journal Poll out today shows Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) leading 48.3% to 39.7%, with a margin of error of 3.2 points, up a few points from last month. Hat-tip BSB.

Attorney General: The audio of the endorsement interview of State Sen. Marc Dann (D-Liberty Township) and State Auditor Betty Montgomery (R) by the editors and reporters of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, along with a recap by reporter Mark Naymik, is here. The two candidates both lost their tempers completely. Dann called Montgomery a failure as an attorney general and auditor for not detecting or preventing the pay-to-play corruption in Columbus, Montgomery called Dann a "skunk" and a "bad lawyer."

Auditor: Rep. Barbara Sykes (D-Akron) won the endorsement of the Dayton Daily News today, although the editors expressed "reservations" because Sykes "had to be talked into running." Nevetheless, Sykes is "the best choice" because she "has a varied background in government" and "has a good understanding of the office's responsibilities," and also "has shown streaks of independence from her political party that suggest she would have the fortitude to run the office aggressively even if that meant embarrassing Democrats." Opponent Rep. Mary Taylor (R-Green) "makes much of the fact that she's a certified public accountant" but "Ohio has never had a CPA in this job." Her tenure in the General Assembly has been brief, she has "associated herself with some of the most conservative members of her party," and she "hasn't made much of a reputation for herself."

Treasurer: The Sun News endorsed County Treasurer Rich Cordray (D-Grove City) today:

[Cordray] has amassed a solid record of accomplishments, including implementing policies that allowed Franklin County to collect more delinquent taxes and increase tax collections to record levels. His investment portfolio outperformed the market by a significant margin. The former state solicitor and state legislator also is credited with innovative programs to combat the alarming rate of home foreclosures in Franklin County and increase the financial literacy for school children. [O'Brien's] experience as auditor in Ashtabula pales in comparison to her opponent’s record. [Cordray] has the intelligence to effectively manage the complex office of the state treasurer [and] has the sophistication to use the influence of this office to affect public policy.