Yes, they have endorsed the pro-economy candidate, Ken Blackwell.In a statement forwarded by the Blackwell Campaign:
The Board of the OMA made its endorsement decision based on objective criteria, which include the public statements and the records of both candidates and the Congressional voting record of Ted Strickland. The Board was heavily influenced by a National Association of Manufacturers analysis showing that Mr. Strickland voted with the manufacturers' position on important legislation only 9 percent of the time in 2003-04 and just 17 percent in 2005-06.
Manufacturing, which is the bedrock wealth generator in Ohio's economy, faces unprecedented challenges. The need for continuous investment, innovation and improvement is unrelenting. Competition is global and fierce. More than 200,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Ohio in the last few years. While many jobs have yielded to productivity improvements that are the result of modern manufacturing, protecting Ohio's ability to make the products the world wants and needs is critical to Ohio's position as a world economic powerhouse.
Our state must have leadership that understands how critical the competitive situation is. Our Board gives more weight to actual record than to campaign rhetoric. In the case of one candidate, that record shows an unfortunate misunderstanding of what is important to the 800,000 manufacturing workers of Ohio.
The OMA Board has taken this action with full understanding that this is a challenging election for our endorsed candidate. The Board's decision to take this step on behalf of OMA member companies and their employees should be seen as a measure of the urgency of the situation we face. We need leadership determined to save industry in Ohio. In the Board's view, Ken Blackwell is the candidate who offers the best promise for such leadership.
The Ohio Manufacturers' Association Website
Ted Strickland's NAM voting record
