Cincy Enquirer: Charlie Winburn for Ohio Senate?

The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that former Cincinnati Councilman Charlie Winburn hasn't wasted time licking his wounds from his third-place finish in that city's mayoral primary. Instead, less than a week later, the Enquirer says Winburn had a poll in the field testing the waters for Ohio Senate.

From the story:

"I have not just gone home and taken my marbles, crying and bellyaching and complaining about everybody else," Winburn said.

The seat is going to open up next year because state Sen. Mark L. Mallory is term limited - and could open sooner if Mallory defeats fellow Democrat David Pepper for the mayor's job.

Winburn's poll shows him beating state Rep. Catherine Barrett, D-College Hill, 47 percent to 40 percent in a 2-1 Democratic district.

Winburn, a Buckeye Firearms Association 2005 primary endorsee, said he also may be interested in running for Hamilton County commissioner. Commissioner Phil Heimlich is gubernatorial- hopeful Jim Petro's running mate.

In 2000, Winburn worked with the NRA to challenge the city's reckless lawsuit against gun manufacturers. The Senate seat he is considering running for is being vacated by the term-limited Sen. Mark Mallory, who has been a consistent anti-gun vote in the Statehouse, and was one of the top two vote-getters in the Cincinnati mayoral primary.