It’s no secret that Ted Strickland considers himself to be the inevitable Democratic nominee to challenge U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, but what continues to rankle everyone from voters to editorial boards is the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP)’s determination to “squelch” Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld’s primary candidacy.
Today’s Toledo Blade editorial calls out Strickland’s efforts to silence his competition and holds him accountable:
OHIO is likely to have a seriously contested Democratic primary for U.S. Senate next year, despite the efforts of state party leaders and their endorsed candidate, former Gov. Ted Strickland, to ignore or obstruct the credible campaign of Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld. Rather than working to squelch this competition, the party should embrace the opportunities it offers the candidates and voters.
Apparently the ODP cares a lot less about building their bench than sucking up to Ted Strickland, because putting all their eggs in one basket has worked so well for Ohio Democrats before. Oh, wait:
Mr. Strickland and his supporters might not want to take too much for granted as they go after Senator Portman. The state Democratic Party similarly cleared the decks last year for then-Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald to challenge Gov. John Kasich. Mr. FitzGerald endured one of the worst defeats in modern Ohio political history, dragging the rest of his party’s ticket down with him. Tougher primary competition might have made him a better prepared candidate.
Maybe so, but Ohio Democrats won’t get a chance to find out if their state party has anything to say about it.