Congressional Races: News and Notes

What's going on:

Senate: Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was in town today to stump for Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Avon). I attended a press conference at the Rockefeller Building in Cleveland this morning. Brown talked about the initiatives that he hopes to pursue in the event that he is elected and the Democrats take control of the Senate, chiefly increasing the minimum wage, passing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, authorizing negotiation of drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries, and working with probable governor Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) on making Ohio the "Silicon Valley" of alternative energy production. I hope to post video of their remarks later today.

Swamped by negative attack ads, the Brown campaign has put up a web page that serves as a statement of positive principles and values that Sherrod Brown will take to the Seante. It centers on "promoting the common good," a "central tenant of many faiths," which "calls us to serve a purpose larger than ourselves and leave this world better than we found it."

Brown and spouse Connie Schultz will be honored at a Mansfield Homecoming Rally at Brinkerhoff Elementary School, 240 Euclid Avenue, Mansfield, Ohio on Sunday, October 22nd, at 2:15 p.m.

You know how Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Cedarville) keeps harping on Brown's alleged ineffectiveness in the House of Representatives? DeWine was a Congressman for eight years and sponsored only 18 bills, none of which became law. (However, he did attempt to pass a bill to declare “Courtesy is Contagious” Month.) Brown has sponsored 119 bills in 14 years.

6th District: SurveyUSA has this race at 64% for State Sen. Charlie Wilson (D-St. Clairsville), 32% for Rep. Charles Blasdel (R-East Liverpool).

1th District: Bob Shamansky (D-Bexley) and Pat Tiberi (R-Westerville) will meet for their first and probably only televised debate, sponsored by the Columbus Dispatch and ONN, on Tuesday, October 24th at 7:00 pm at the Arena Grand Theater. The debate will carried on ONN and probably on C-SPAN as well.

13th District: Betty Sutton (D-Copley) and Craig Foltin (R-Lorain) will meet for a debate at The University of Akron Student Union Theatre, 303 Carroll Street, from 7:30 - 9 p.m. Prof. David B. Cohen of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics will moderate and the panel of questioners will include Tom Beres from WKYC and Carl Chancellor from the Akron Beacon Journal. the Bliss Institute, The Akron Press Club, University of Akron College Democrats, and University of Akron College Republicans are co-sponsoring. Media who want to attend the debate need to contact the Bliss Institute at 330-972-5182. Space is very limited. Time Warner Cable will broadcast the debate locally (tape-delayed) and make the broadcast available Free on Demand through Time Warner Digital Cable. C-SPAN also has agreed tentatively to broadcast the OH-13 debate on a tape-delayed basis. WAKR AM 1590 will be broadcasting live in Northeast Ohio. Finally, the debate will be live-streamed over the Internet as well as archived. The Bliss Institute website will contain information and instructions on linking to the webcast.

14th District: Challenger Lew Katz (D-Copley) will be on the Lanigan and Malone Show on Majic 105.7 (Cleveland) at 7:40 a.m. on Monday, October 23rd.

17th District: A friend in northwest Ohio forwarded this to me:

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Niles), who appears to be the only Bowling Green State University alum currently serving in the Congress, is coming “home” to BG to support Ted Strickland and the 2006 Democratic Team. Congressman Ryan is a familiar figure on the floor and on C-Span as a leader of the “30-Something Caucus.” The caucus is a group of young, articulate Democratic members who regularly take the floor at the end of daily business in the Congress to speak out on the issues of the day and offer fresh Democratic perspectives on the issues of the day. Congressman Ryan obviously has a special interest in our area and is working hard to turn Ohio blue. Tim Ryan is a person with a future in Ohio politics. Come to “Grounds for Thought,” 174 S. Main St. next Wednesday to support our 2006 Democratic team and welcome Tim back to BG!

N.B.: The Tim Ryan appearance is in Bowling Green, Ohio and the email was from Wood county Democratic Party Chairman Al Baldwin.

18th District: Zack Space (D-Dover) and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) will hold a press conference to discuss the importance of alternative energy initiatives for Ohio's workforce and economy on Saturday, October 21st, at 4:15 p.m. at the CNG Auto Fueling Station, 600 West Church Street, Newark, Ohio.

CQPolitics.com reports that the NRCC has doled out $39.1 million in the seven weeks since September 1st, 93% of it in 47 districts that Republicans are defending. What district got the most? "[T]he single district receiving the most such attention from the NRCC, with $2.4 million in expenditures, is Ohio’s 18th District — the seat where the Republicans’ hold has been put at dire risk by the conviction on corruption charges of retiring six-term Republican Rep. Bob Ney." ODP Chair Rep. Chris Redfern (D-Catawba Island) has circulated an email calling on Democrats all over the state to help Space, writing that "Zack has deep grassroots support from the voters, but his opponent Joy Padgett and national Republicans are running a series of attack ads -- just like the despicable ones she ran two years ago against former hostage Terry Anderson -- designed to mislead voters and chip away at Zack's lead." Contribute here.