Chris Baker might come to owe me dinner, because wisely I didn’t bet that Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher will not run against each other in a Democratic primary to be the party’s nominee to fill retiring U.S. Senator George Voinovich’s seat. I only wagered that Brunner and Ohio congressman, Tim Ryan, wouldn’t be facing off.
Still, I didn’t think the Brunner-Fisher scenario was as likely to materialize as it now seems to be.
First, primary blogging news from RootsCampOH ’09 about Fisher’s intentions on Sunday. Then, an announcement yesterday that Fisher had filed papers for an exploratory committee. This morning, Politico has these quotes, first from Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern:
“If you watch the primary between Hillary and Obama, the governor doesn’t do anything halfway. He goes full steam,” said Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern. “Hillary Clinton knows a lot about Ted’s commitment to friendship and loyalty.”
…
“At this point, it looks like a two-person field: Fisher and Jennifer Brunner,” said Redfern. “It looks to be a competitive primary, but with the governor’s support, that bodes well for the lieutenant governor.”
Then from Brunner:
In an interview with Politico, Brunner said she understands that Strickland has loyalty to his lieutenant governor, but that wouldn’t necessarily dissuade her from running. She noted that, if elected, she would be the first female senator in state history.
…
Brunner has already held several conversations with the women’s group EMILY’s List, which has been encouraging her to run.
“Her accomplishments this last election are pretty impressive, given the fact that all eyes were on Ohio and the elections … for the most part came off smoothly,” said EMILY’s List political director Jonathan Parker.
“This, despite the fact that she was a national target of bloggers who were making her into public enemy No. 1.”
Brunner also has high-profile labor and trial attorney allies from her 2006 secretary of state race, not to mention connections to Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat elected in 2006. She worked on Brown’s secretary of state campaign in 1982 and later served as one of his top legal advisers.
“Everyone thought that if Fisher ran, he would clear the field. No one thought anyone else would take him on,” said one leading Ohio Democratic operative. “Jennifer doing so raises a lot of eyebrows. It will be a classic duel — the powerful governor’s pick versus EMILY’s List.”
Politico – you should name your operatives once in a while – other than Redfern, you reference “Democratic operatives” at least three or four times – but no names?
Anyway – regarding, “It will be a classic duel – the powerful governor’s pick versus EMILY’s List.” I wish that was a classic duel, but to be classic, it has to, you know, have happened a lot or something. Has EMILY’s List faced off against a “powerful governor’s pick” often enough for this to be called classic? I don’t know – maybe I’m not reading “classic” in the same way the “leading Ohio Democratic operative” meant it. Regardless, yes, EMILY’s List is a formidable ally – one I’d want on my side for sure. I just don’t think that a governor has sided against a female candidate supported by EMILY’s List often enough to call it a “classic” – but I might be wrong. But if I’m not wrong, then what sense is so classic? Are they thinking, Adam’s Rib? What?
I’ve already written that I think the Strickland-Sherrod Brown support dyad is a very powerful one for Ohioans but that I don’t anticipate Brown jumping in, if at all, in the primary stage. Frankly, if I were him, I don’t know that I would either. So this “pitting” of Strickland v. EMILY’s List is a little disturbing and something I will be keeping an eye on. I already eye-rolled the Plain Dealer for its sexist, differential treatment of Brunner and Ryan at an Obama inauguration event.
As for the possible “classic duel” itself?
I like both Brunner and Fisher – I would support either one in the general. As for a primary, it could be like a game of golf or a high-stakes proficiency exam: it all depends on the day. Which is to say that Brunner can beat Fisher, but Fisher could beat Brunner. Both of them should be able to beat former congressman and major George Bush administration wonk (director of the Office of Budget Management – budget management) Rob Portman, the presumptive GOP candidate (though I still think Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor would have a better shot) who hasn’t held an elected office related to Ohio in several years and has very low name recognition.
But I don’t like contested primaries, as a general rule, especially in my preferred party, and I do wonder who would run for secretary of state for the Dems (because of its significance to determining legislative district boundaries aka apportionment) and win what would be an open seat (I’m assuming the law does not allow Brunner to keep the seat as a back-up if she loses, correct? the way Joe Lieberman could go back to being senator after he lost with Al Gore?). Also, does anyone know what obligations if any Brunner would be under regarding conflict of interest in running for office and being the SOS at the same time? Her predecessor, Ken Blackwell didn’t change a thing, from what I recall.
Finally, the reason picking a winner is so critical is that first, we have the chance to replace a Republican with a Democrat, but additionally, with Brunner, we have a chance to increase the number of women in the U.S. Senate, and with the current number at only 17, out of 100, for a Democratic woman, that is a tough proposition to ignore. It’s not the end all be all, I’ve said that before and I’ll say it again, but it is extremely important to consider, especially if all other things are equal. However, we have no history for how Brunner or Fisher might shape debate to reflect legislative impact on women (consider the role Kim Gandy of NOW has played in making sure the recovery aka stimulus bills do so) and that is something that is critical to me.
On the third hand, we don’t know what will happen in the other 2010 U.S. Senate races – I’ve not yet looked to see which women will be running – for sure Kirsten Gillibrand (D – the Hillary Clinton replacement) will be up in NY but again, I’ve not checked. I’m sure EMILY’s List knows.
Ohioans are lucky. We have two excellent Democratic prospects for election to the U.S. Senate and an excellent chance, then, to have two Democrats from Ohio represent us in that legislative body. In some ways, it’s a shame because I think about the expenditures that will go toward a contested primary. But, on the other hand, I remember that this is a democracy and they have the right to run. It’s the voters who have to make the choice – and at least we have good options from which to pick.
Cross-posted from Writes Like She Talks.