The collective eye of Ohio Democrats -and even many Ohio Republicans -is currently on U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Lisbon, and his entrance into the gubernatorial race of 2006. In an apparent change of heart Strickland, who represents much of Athens County in Washington, announced yesterday that he is making a bid for the Democratic nomination for governor against Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Lee Fisher, the party's nominee in 1998. Although it is too early to speculate on who will win the party's nomination, it is clear that Strickland would be the best candidate for Democrats to throw their support behind.
Strickland is equipped with a diverse range of skills that would allow him to work with both parties and appeal to voters across party lines. An advocate of veterans' rights, something of a political moderate and possessing a down-home American image, Strickland has the potential to swing votes from individuals that traditionally vote the Republican ticket, all the while maintaining the support of hard-line Democrats in the state. That fact is most clearly illustrated when considering that Strickland has been elected repeatedly in his Southeastern Ohio U.S. representative district, which is a politically diverse area -Athens County, a Democratic stronghold, is surrounded by several largely Republican counties.
Strickland's appeal likely will make him a formidable opponent to the Republican candidate for governor (the survivor of the heated Attorney General Jim Petro, State Auditor Betty Montgomery and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell three-for-all).
It is unfortunate that Strickland cannot concurrently run for both his House seat and the governor's office; he told The Post that state rules prohibit such a move. Ultimately, the decision represents a risk for Strickland, but, at least for the state's rank and file Democrats, the 63-year-old legislator's entrance into the race gives Democrats -especially in the predominantly Republican southeast -a legitimate shot at claiming the top job in the state.
17 Archives
The Post Editorial Board
