OH Hse 19, 22, 23, 24: GOP Candidates Reported

Cross-posted at my new location, Ohio Daily Blog:

The Columbus Dispatch blog Daily Briefing has a post up about potential GOP candidates for Ohio House seats in the Columbus area.

In the northwest suburban 19th District, where Rep. Larry Flowers (R-Canal Winchester) is term-limited, the screening committee of the Franklin County GOP is endorsing two candidates, former legislative aide Nathan Burd and county coroner Bradley Lewis. Burd is a pro-life zealot and rabid supporter of Mitt Romney; his opponent had ties to a group called "Ohio Republicans for Choice" so he may be pro-choice unless he has had a Romney-esque miraculous conversion. The challenger in 2006, Marian Harris (D-Columbus), plans to run again.

In the 22nd, which goes from Dublin to Clintonville, Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus) is term-limited and former State Rep. Bill Shuck (R-Columbus) figures to get the nod. (Former State Rep. David Robinson was interested in this race but dropped out.) Health care attorney John P. Carney (D-Columbus) deserves and should get another shot at this district, a real pickup opportunity for the Democrats.

In the west-to-southwest suburban 23rd District, where Rep. Larry Wolpert (R-Hilliard) is term limited, the GOP candidate will be either Mayor Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City), who has been endorsed by the screening committee, or Councilman Brett Sciotto (R-Hilliard). Grossman appears to be up for re-election as mayor in 2007, opposed by Bill Ferguson.

State Rep. Ted Celeste (D-Grandview), brother of the former Ohio governor, ousted Geoff Smith (R-Upper Arlington) handily in the westside 24nd District in 2006, and he has been very busy with fund-raising for 2008. The GOP candidate will be city councilman Tim Rankin (R-Upper Arlington), who spoke out against displaying Outlook Weekly and Gay People's Chronicle in the Upper Arlington Public Library as "offensive and inappropriate." (h/t Dave Harding at ProgressOhio.org)