Public Policy Advocates

For the second straight week, winter weather forced the cancellation of a number of legislative hearings.  The entire Tuesday committee slate as well as House and Senate voting sessions were cancelled due to the weather, along with a significant number of Wednesday hearings.  However, the snow did not slow down any of the political races, as Attorney General Richard Cordray officially announced his bid for re-election to the office he was elected to in 2008 after the resignation of Marc Dann.  Mr. Cordray announced he would be running based on his record of service for the last two years as Attorney General and before that as State Treasurer. 
 
Additionally, Thursday February 18th is the deadline for all federal and state candidates to file for office.  One of the key races to watch will be the U.S. Senate, where businessman Tom Ganley may not file against Rob Portman for the Republican nomination, despite already having run television advertisements for his campaign.  Mr. Ganley is expected to file for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District to run against Rep. Betty Sutton instead.  Meanwhile, on the other side of the Senate race, both Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher are expected to file, setting up a heavyweight fight for the Democratic nomination.  There will also be some intrigue for the State Auditor seat, as Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost and State Rep. Seth Morgan have both announced plans to vie for the Republican nomination.  We’ll have a full rundown of candidate filings once they’ve been announced tomorrow.