KEY OH Senate race: Pro-CCW Padgett faces challenge in Appalachia

The battle for Ohio's 20th Senate district (Muskingum, Washington, Athens, Guernsey, Coshocton, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble Counties) may be one of the most important in terms of improving the makeup of the Ohio Senate to one that is willing to override a veto, if necessary, to improve Ohio's concealed carry law.

Senator Joy Padgett served in the Ohio House from 1992 to 1999, and accepted appointment last January to serve the remainder of Jim Carnes' term upon his resignation.

Padgett was the original sponsor of legislation allowing Ohioans to carry concealed firearms.

Her opponent, Terry Anderson, officially announced his candidacy for Senate on December 29. 2003. At that event, Anderson revealed his position on concealed carry reform (which had not yet been passed into law).

"To me, it's a false issue," he said. "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."

Anderson, a past member of the liberal academic and media-elite, has never held public office. In fact, according to a recent Athens Messenger story, Anderson has not bothered to vote in a general election since November 2000.

The gun issue is very much a part of the battle for Senate Disctrict 20. At a recent press conference set up by the Anderson campaign, the first three questions posed were related to the firearms issues.

The race could be Ohio’s most expensive legislative race ever, according to Columbus Dispatch reporter Lee Leonard, with Senate Republicans possibly spending more than $1 million on Padgett’s campaign to preserve a 22-11 super-majority, and with Democrats calling George Soros-supported, anti-President Bush 527s to register voters and get them to the polls.

"My commitment to the people of Southeastern Ohio remains unchanged," says Padgett. "Throughout this campaign and into the future, I will continue to provide steady, experienced leadership for Southeastern Ohio workers and their families."

And Padgett's steady, experienced leadership will most definitely include support for Ohioans' right to bear arms for self-defense.

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