No more Ney Votes

[sandgk]

Ney says he is done. - or The Mayor bows out

Ney quits Ohio race amid Abramoff probe
Mon Aug 7, 2006 6:24 PM ET

By Andrea Hopkins
CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Republican Rep. Bob Ney, dogged by ties to disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, dropped out of the U.S. mid-term election race on Monday in a move that analysts said hurts Democratic chances of gaining ground in the November ballot.
Election watchers said Ney's decision to quit puts his central Ohio district onto firmer footing for Republicans by depriving Democrats of a favorite poster-boy for the bribery investigation that has plagued Congress.
"This actually gives the Republicans a shot at holding the seat," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political analyst who tracks congressional races. "Ney was bound to fail, so this is a recognition of reality."
Veteran Ohio lawmaker Joy Padgett said she will seek the Republican nomination to replace Ney on the ballot, and quickly distanced herself from the Abramoff scandal.
"Those are Bob Ney's problems, they are not my problems. I do not know who Jack Abramoff is, I've never met him," Padgett said in an interview. "I do not believe (voters) are going to hang that baggage on me."
A Republican strategist who declined to be named said the party will quickly line up behind Padgett, who has been in the state senate since 2004 and was in the state house from 1993 to 1999. Padgett said both Ney and House of Representatives Majority Leader John Boehner support her candidacy.
"I think that in very short order -- days, not weeks -- you'll begin to see the party apparatus coalescing behind the senator," the strategist said. "Too many people have too much at stake here to let this thing drag out."
A primary date has not yet been set. A spokesman for Ohio Republican Party Chairman Robert Bennett said Ney, who won the original May primary with 68 percent of the vote, must withdraw his name from the ballot by August 18.
A NEW RACE
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which helps organize and fund key election races, said it remained confident Democrat Zack Space would win the race, arguing Padgett was already tainted by ties to Ney and Ohio Gov. Bob Taft.
"The first thing we know about Joy Padgett is that she's Ney's handpicked candidate ... So we remain optimistic about our chances," said DCCC communications director Bill Burton.
Taft has also been caught in a corruption scandal and has pleaded no contest to state ethics violations.
Democrats say Ney was so damaged by the corruption scandal that his solid Republican district was one of their best chances to gain one of the 15 seats they need to take control of the House.
Ney, first elected in 1994, is under federal investigation for his ties to lobbyist Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to fraud and admitted lawmakers with Super Bowl tickets, travel junkets and other gifts to win favors for his lobbying clients.
Ney has denied any wrongdoing but his former chief of staff, Neil Volz, pleaded guilty in May and agreed to cooperate in the expanding investigation.
Former Republican House leader Tom DeLay, once one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, resigned after becoming embroiled in the Abramoff scandal.
With Ney's announcement, election handicappers immediately shuffled the seat from "leaning Democratic" to a toss-up -- or even a likely Republican win -- despite Padgett's late start to the race.
"I wouldn't count Space or the Democrats out since the national environment and the state environment in Ohio is extremely poor for Republicans, but it certainly makes it a lot more difficult for Space," said Nathan Gonzales, who handicaps elections for the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.
A poll released last month by Space showed Ney with just 35 percent support in the district, compared to Space's 46 percent. Nineteen percent were undecided.

[OH10]

Geez, it only took Ney 6 months too long to wake up and smell the roses.

By the way, I wonder what the law is on replacing candidates who bow out after winning the primary. I'm sure there's a couple of candidates who lost to Ney who are now wondering why they couldn't have gone up against Joy Padgett.

Not saying I know what the law is, but I'd be interested to find out.

[ORD_Buckeye]

That guy has been a cesspool of corruption since he was in the statehouse. I'm just shocked that he managed to last a dozen years before self-destructing.

Good riddance, and the fact that his opponent is a Buckeye means that we won't take a net loss in Ohio State alumni in Congress. It's a win-win.

[GoBucks89]

What a great thread title.

[tsteele316]

Originally Posted by StadiumDorm

Geez, it only took Ney 6 months too long to wake up and smell the roses.

By the way, I wonder what the law is on replacing candidates who bow out after winning the primary. I'm sure there's a couple of candidates who lost to Ney who are now wondering why they couldn't have gone up against Joy Padgett.

Not saying I know what the law is, but I'd be interested to find out.

sorry i didn't notice this thread before. if he bows out before august 19th, there must be a state special election to find the replacement. If he does it after the 19th but before the 23rd, a coalition of parties within the district selects the successor. ballots must be certified by september 6th, so, these are the deadlines.

Here's the real rub. The GOP stuck a provision in HB 3 this past year that prohibits anyone from running for state and federal office in the same year. it was called the "strickland amendment" as it was thought that strickland would try to retain his congressional seat, should he lose the governor's race. Padgett has already lost a state bid when she ran as Petro's LG in the primary.

Currently, the state GOP is looking for an SOS opinion as to whether they can skirt around this by having her selected for the ballot by the coalition party, since she wouldn't technically be running. The word around here is that this probably won't fly given the intent of the amendment. However, if Blackwell gives this the ok, there will be a media [censored] storm.

[OH10]

Originally Posted by tsteele316

Currently, the state GOP is looking for an SOS opinion as to whether they can skirt around this by having her selected for the ballot by the coalition party, since she wouldn't technically be running. The word around here is that this probably won't fly given the intent of the amendment. However, if Blackwell gives this the ok, there will be a media [censored] storm.

I know they already tried to coax Hottinger in, and he turned it out. That could very well be the reason why, because Hottinger would run away with it if he were able to run.

[tsteele316]

the problem is that the language is ambiguous at best. however, when it was put into the bill, the intent was made pretty clear. both sides have an argument that is somewhat valid. However, giving the ok on this likely hurts Blackwell politically.