The Republicans here in Ohio are facing some uphill battles, I believe.
Gov. Taft's approval rating has been dismal the past few years. Last month, his approval rating was 17%, the lowest of any governor in the country.
The governor's office and the state has been in a huge scandal involving poor investments in and illegal contributions from a coin dealer.
The state has been under Republican control for the past 15 years...currently, all state officials are Republicans, and both the state house and the senate are under republican control. Both US Senators are Republican, and Republicans control the delegation in the house.
I think that all of these factors, plus the fact that Schmidt won in Cincinnati with only 52% of the vote (while her predecessor, Rob Portman, continually won with at least 70%) is very interesting. Granted, this was a special election and therefore much quicker than a general election...plus the national media seemed to be plugging Hackett quite a bit.
Gov. Taft's term is up next year, and so far, three prominent Republicans are vying for the nomination: Attorney General Jim Petro, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, and Auditor Betty Montgomery. Both Blackwell and Montgomery make me personally want to vomit, because they tout the fact that they were the only statewide officials who supported Ohio's Issue One (strictest gay marriage ban in the country) which passed in November.
On the Dems side, Columbus mayor Michael Colemand is facing my congressman, Ted Strickland for the nomination. I think the whole primary process will be interesting. It looks to me like the Republicans are already starting to tear each other apart...the Dem race has seemed pretty clean and constructive, I think.
Now we just need to get someone good to run against DeWine. That's been the problem with the Dems in Ohio, IMO. We can't seem to get any really good candidates. Hell, Kate Mulgrew's husband couldn't even beat Taft! But now that so many scandals have brought the Rs down a bit in the state, it'll be interesting to see what happens next November.
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