Kearney out as FitzGerald gubernatorial running mate

Breaking....

Sen. Eric Kearney, the Democratic lieutenant governor running mate for gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald, is off the ticket.

He had resigned his position as Senate minority leader when he was selected as FitzGerald's running mate.

Kearney has been widely criticized for unpaid taxes along with his credit card debt.

Both men said this would be the best move for the campaign.

From their statement:

“It’s undeniable that this has come to be a distraction from a discussion of the vital issues facing Ohio, and the choice voters must make in this election. The stakes are too high: we need a change of leadership to move Ohio in a new direction that puts more Ohioans back to work and builds a better future for our children,” Mr. Kearney said.

“I have discussed this with Ed FitzGerald, and while I will always be grateful for him selecting me to be his running mate, we agree that the best course of action is for me to step aside from the campaign for Lieutenant Governor and focus on serving the people of the Ninth Senate district."

This does not bode well for the FitzGerald campaign and is not the best way to start a campaign. I expect that criticism over the choice, along with the vetting process, will be a continuing issue during the campaign, opening FitzGerald up to questions about how he would perform similar acts if he were elected.

The Ohio Republican Party got in the first dig with this tweet:

"Historians and pundits always say that the first real decision a governor makes is the one of running mate." - Ed FitzGerald

Ouch!

Then they issued this statement attacking FitzGerald and the "disservice" he did to Kearney.

"Ed Fitzgerald has done a huge disservice to Senator Kearney and his family. By failing to fully vet him, FitzGerald put his running mate in an impossible situation for weeks before finally abandoning him in an attempt to save his own campaign. We have learned a lot about FitzGerald and his priorities throughout this entire episode. His lack of judgment and honesty will haunt him for the remainder of this campaign. We still don't know how FitzGerald allowed this to happen, but we know the entire time nothing Ed Fitzgerald or the Ohio Democrats have said has been true. If anyone should leave this race, it's Fitzgerald who is clearly not prepared for statewide office."

It's going to be a long campaign...

Surprise! No Republican wants to run against Kasich

Kasich probably won't face
a primary challenger.

According to various reports and information I've received, it looks like there won't be a primary challenge against Gov. John Kasich.

Despite intense anger from many conservatives and tea party groups, potential candidates are calling it 'political suicide' to challenge the incumbent. And they're probably right.

"If they want to have a future at the party, they're told not to run," Tom Zawistowski, former president of the Ohio Liberty Coalition who was unsuccessful in his bid for GOP state chairman, recently told Gongwer Ohio.

Mounting a primary challenge would require raising significant amounts of money from many of the same people already committed to Kasich. And it's never easy going up against the party's standard bearer, even when the 'bearer' is short on consistency with cord standards and principles.

Which is not to say that incumbents should not face challenges - just that the ideal candidate to do so has to have considerable resources, reputation and support already in place and not have too much to risk if they lose.

Charlie Earl, the gubernatorial candidate from the Libertarian Party, might prove to be an option in the general election for those who just can't pull the lever (yes, an old reference) for Kasich, but I don't think most Republicans will change party affiliation by pulling a Libertarian ballot in the primary.

Of course, it's still early and, as upset as conservatives are with Kasich, he's still a better choice than the Democrat, Ed FitzGerald.

***Side note: I'm headed to Indianapolis for the weekend to participate in the Smart Girl Summit and will try to blog about some of the sessions, especially the ones focusing on culture. ***