2004 General Assembly elections shaping around Ohio CCW issue

Term limits help to change Statehouse

01/03/04
Cleveland Plain Dealer

Columbus- Taxes, term limits and debate over concealed weapons could help reshape the Ohio General Assembly after the March 2 primary.

Friday was the date for candidates to file for all 99 Ohio House seats and the 16 even-numbered Senate seats that will be on the ballot this year.

Nine representatives and seven senators will leave their posts because of term limits. Some - including Republican Rep. Jamie Callender of Willowick - hope to move from the House to Senate. Callender faces what is expected to be a spirited primary challenge from Rep. Tim Grendell, a Chester Township Republican.

Democrats who have filed to run in the 18th Senate District include lawyer John Hawkins and Danielle Deighton. The candidates are vying for the seat to be vacated by Sen. Bob Gardner, a Madison Republican, who cannot run again because of term limits.

In Callender's open House seat, Democrats are running two-term Willowick Mayor Lorraine Fende. Two Republicans - Christopher Galloway and Greg Schmidt - are competing for the chance to oppose her.

One of the few Republican incumbents facing a challenge from his own party is Sen. Bob Spada of North Royalton. Although he championed the successful prescription drug legislation, he irked some conservatives by voting against legislation that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Republican Don Sopka is challenging Spada, while two Democrats are running against each other in the primary - former North Olmsted Councilwoman Janet Saringer and Robert Matius.

In the House district being vacated by term-limited Rep. Ed Jerse, a Euclid Democrat who is running for Congress, Democrats Kevin Potter, Kent Smith and Kenny Yuko have filed to seek their party's nomination. Republicans vying for the GOP nomination are Steven Pressman and Beverly Valencic.

One of the most interesting contests around the state may be in the southeastern Ohio Senate district being vacated by term-limited Sen. Jim Carnes. Former State Rep. Joy Padgett, a Republican who has been working on Appalachian issues for the Taft administration, is to face journalist and former Beirut hostage Terry Anderson, a Democrat.

Commentary: Many of the 2004 primary and general elections promise to hinge heavily on the concealed carry issue, and several of the above-mentioned contests are good examples.

Senator Spada (R-24) has taken every opportunity to vote against concealed carry. OFCC PAC will be evaluating his Republican primary opponent, Don Sopka, as well as both Democrats, in consideration of making a primary endorsement.

Rep. Ed Jerse (D-7), fought concealed carry reform efforts in the House. He is term-limited, and his open seat is contested in both Republican and Democrat primaries. Among the candidates is 2002 OFCC PAC endorsee Steven Pressman. OFCC PAC plans to research these candidates before the primary, as citizens of the 7th House District deserve to have their self-defense rights respected by their House Representative.

While not a primary contest, the race between Joy Padgett (R) and Terry Anderson (D) to replace term-limited Sen. Jim Carnes in the 20th Senate will most definitely revolve heavily around the concealed-carry issue. Padgett, a former House Representative, was the original sponsor of legislation allowing certain Ohioans to carry concealed firearms. Anderson, when announcing his candidacy, remarked of the concealed-carry issue that "to me, it's a false issue. It's a hot-button issue that gets to people's emotions, but it's not relevant to most real lives here. Passing concealed carry is not going to bring one more dollar into the schools of southeastern Ohio."

No, Terry, but it might just save a few students' lives from time to time, so they can continue to attend school in Ohio.

Endorsements concerning these and other primary contests may be forthcoming, depending on the results of our research.

OFCC PAC has already made it's first 2004 endorsement!! Click here to read our endorsement of Jean Schmidt for Senate District 14.