Election Results Demonstrate Butler County GOP Has Lost Influence with Voters

The results are in and it appears that the Butler County Republican Party has lost some influence over the voters based on how some of their endorsed candidates fared.

Warren Davidson winning the OH-08 Congressional hit is probably the highest profile seat.  Tim Derickson won the endorsement * [received the blessing of BCGOP after the endorsement] and there was no shortage of candidates to chose from on the ballot, but the Butler County GOP's choice came in third.

Wes Retherford's win over Corky Combs is surprising because Combs is Old Guard and Wes was just finishing up his first term.  Combs got the endorsement and then ran a vicious smear campaign that appears to have turned off the electorate.

Candace Keller's win over Joe Mulligan is another case of establishment power being crushed.  Keller has been a frequent candidate for office before, but finally wins to take Derickson's state House seat (he was term limited).

For me, the biggest victory of the night was Ann Becker winning the State Central Committee seat from the establishment's choice.  Ann has been a strong Tea Party leader and has frequently been a vocal critic of the way things are going with the state party and local issues.

Four races that clearly demonstrate that the Central and Executive Committee endorsement means a whole lot less than it used to in Butler County.  It's a good thing.  New blood is seriously needed as it can now be argued that the current batch are out of touch with the communities they are supposed to represent.

SIDEBAR: Sheriff Spotlight gets dinged too.  Particularly in the Retherford race.  He's usually a behind-the-scenes player in these things, but his fingerprints are hard to miss.

* CORRECTION: A Facebook friend reminded me that nobody got the endorsement. Roger Reynolds received the most votes, but not enough to capture the prize. He subsequently dropped out and support rallied around Derickson after that.

Forkin The Road Report on Boehner, ORP, and the Tea Party

THIS is a MUST READ.

Most interesting tidbit:

When the Tea Party first arrived on the scene in 2009, I was given the un-glorious task of identifying exactly what the Tea Party was, who they were, what they wanted and then devising a recommended plan of action on the best way to handle the new group. 

I was told, and rightly so, that political leaders in other states and in D.C. were watching Ohio in particular to see how the GOP was handling this new group. 

I put together a nice report outlining who the group was, what they wanted and then made recommendations on the best way to handle the Tea Party. 

Many party leaders, and consequently then members of the media, wanted to incorrectly label the movement as just born-again members of the John Birch Society, or a vast uprising of only social conservatives, or the born-again version of the Know-Nothings, or paid puppets of Dick Armey. 

I tried to explain that there was no reference point in history that could be used to define the Tea Party – it was a unique mix of solidly principled people that consisted of not just Republicans, but Democrats and Independents as well. 

My advice was to make them feel as though they had a seat at the table, make them feel welcomed and that they had a voice that was not only listened to, but considered and sometimes acted upon. 

I advised against the eventual tactic, which was to not only defeat the Republican Tea Partiers, but utterly destroy any future hopes of political success by absolutely crushing them in the 2010 primaries. 

The term used by people on the inside to describe the eventual plan was ‘scorched-earth tactics’

The last sentence was emphasized by me because it is just that important.

Read the whole thing to find out what happened next because this guy called it...just as I did.

RELEASE: Ohio Republican Party Statement on Wright State Hosting First Presidential Debate

Following the reports that Wright State University will host the first general election presidential debate next September, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges released the following statement:

"Every President elected since 1964 has won Ohio.  There is no question that our state is the bellwether for presidential elections.  Our state was proud to host the first republican presidential primary debate and we're excited to hear that Ohio will also be hosting the first general election debate.  As Ohio goes, so goes the nation."

RELEASE: Judge Pat DeWine Announces Candidacy for Ohio Supreme Court

Cincinnati, OH-

Judge Pat DeWine of Cincinnati is proud to announce his candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court in the 2016 election. Judge DeWine currently serves as a judge on the Court of Appeals, and will be running for one of the two open seats on the Ohio Supreme Court in 2016.

On Friday September 18th, Judge Pat DeWine received the official endorsement of the Ohio Republican Party and the State Central Committee. "I am honored to receive the support of the Republican Party", said DeWine. "I look forward to continuing to travel across the state, and talk to voters about the importance of this election."

As part of his official announcement for his candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court, Judge DeWine has released a video on social media detailing his efforts.

You can watch the official announcement video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcEvIoI9Bic&feature=youtu.be The announcement video is also available on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JudgePatDeWine?fref=ts) or on his website, PatDeWine.com.

Judge DeWine has broad experience. He has served as both an appellate and a trial court judge; he practiced law for for 13 years at one of Cincinnati's largest law firms; he clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; and he has served as a member of Cincinnati City Council and as a Hamilton County Commissioner.

MATT: It's a good thing Pat decided to run since the Ohio Republican Party already endorsed him last week before he decided to run.....

Ohio Republican Party Jumps Shark

ORP FAILS TO ENDORSE JOHN BECKER

The Enquirer is reporting that the Ohio Republican Party has failed to endorse John Becker and two other area Republican state representatives because they DARE to hold the line on spending.

John Becker has done more for the Ohio Republican party than anybody I know. He has fought the good fight with friends in the Tea Party and other conservative groups that the ORP was an organization worth investing time and energy. His dedication to that cause is one of the reasons why WMD has restrained itself from completely and utterly abandoning any and all hope that the ORP could be reformed. All of that is nothing.

THIS is how the Ohio Republican Party rewards people who have differing views. Where's the 80% with us bullshit line now?

I had always suspected that Bill Batchelder was a tool. That he has allowed this nonsense confirms what I have always suspected. This guy is a loser and I'm grateful that he can do us no more damage thanks to term limits.

These idiots have even recommended endorsing Peter Beck. That dude is going to prison.

SERIOUSLY.

I can't stand this much Stupid.

WMD on Beck

WMD released the following statement regarding State Representative Beck:

What a (&*^%#%^( tool. Get OUT of our party. Do NOT pass GO. Do NOT collect $200.

WMD is not at all surprised to see the return of the Culture of Corruption. When Bob Bennett was re-installed as Chairman, it was a sign of things to come. That the State Central Committee followed up that with Matt Borges made it official.

Clean house you fools.

ORP on Beck

Release:

COLUMBUS - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges released the following statement today concerning Representative Beck.

"Speaker Batchelder is correct to ask Representative Beck to step down. I join the Speaker in asking Representative Beck to resign. These are serious allegations that Representative Beck is facing that if proven true cannot be tolerated. While everyone is presumed innocent and deserves a fair trial, it's important that Representative Beck take appropriate action that will allow him to focus on the serious accusations he faces and prevent him from being a distraction for his colleagues and Party."

TEA vs. ORP

Let's get ready to RUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBLE!

Regular readers of WMD know that I'm a huge fan of neither side in this fight, so I can be fairly objective about calling this particular match. The TEA Party has the best of intentions and wants to get our agenda moved forward. The ORP has the experience in politics and elections (which are NOT the same thing).

Tom Zawistowski (Tom Z. from here on...) ran for Chairman of the ORP because he thought that the party was the best way to advance our agenda. He learned a valuable lesson just days before the election...

I did not understand until I had the opportunity to talk to Matt Borges last Saturday and he told me privately, and then said publicly, that the Ohio Republican Party's role is to elect candidates and specifically to re-elect Governor Kasich. When I asked him about policy, he looked me in the eye and said "We don't do policy." When I specifically asked him about policies like the "Navigator" bill in the Senate, he repeated "We don't do policy." Even after I pointed out that if Navigators are allowed to register voters, with the presumption being that they would register mostly democratic voters, and that would devastate the Republican Party, he held firm.

His words took me back to one of the first times that I met Bill Batchelder over three years ago. We were asking the "Party" to help us with something, perhaps it was Issue 3. Speaker Batchelder candidly said something like, "You don't understand, we raise money to win elections and after we win elections we stay out of the way until the next election where the cycle repeats itself." They were not involved with Policy. We did not get that. Even when current Chairman Bennett would say something like, "The Ohio Republican Party is a Party without Policies." We did not get that. It did not make sense to us.

ORP's objective is to win elections and over the years the collective wisdom at ORP was to stay out of policy and let the elected officials handle those concerns. It makes sense from the point of view of keeping the party out of the line of fire when it comes to the hot button issues of the day. The problem with this strategy is that rank-and-file members and grassroots activists (but I repeat myself) don't want to see their agenda -- that they worked so hard for -- be tossed aside by thoughtless politicians. Those folks look to the ORP and see a level of indifference that is simply mind-boggling.

Now the ORP is trying to raise money off the IRS scandal in which conservative groups (read TEA Parties and liberty groups) were targeted for more scrutiny than usual. Which from the ORP perspective it is their way of reaching out and magnifying the issue. From the TEA Party perspective, it is ORP reaching their hands out for cold hard cash with one hand while slapping these very groups in the face with the other.

In an email distributed to Republicans throughout Ohio, Matt Borges, the Chairman-Elect of the ORP, asks for recipients to "Help us hold them accountable and demand answers!" by donating money to the Ohio Republican "Party". Tom Zawistowski, Executive Director of the Portage County TEA Party, said "After using TEA Party and social conservative groups to help elect Republicans who have failed to represent our conservative views and values, the ORP is now attempting to use the illegal targeting of TEA Party groups by the IRS to raise money for itself. They are doing so under the totally false claim that the ORP will in any way help our Liberty Groups fight the IRS. They can't and they won't. I find that totally classless. In fact the ORP itself has been fighting TEA Party and social conservative attempts to hold our own elected republicans from straying from their conservative campaign promises. They are not helping us, they are fighting us." Zawistowski is the recent past President of the statewide Ohio Liberty Coalition. His letter in February of 2012 stating that the OLC would not comply with the IRS demands, began the successful effort by TEA Party groups all over the nation to challenge the IRS which resulted in the apology that was issued yesterday.

Zawistowski continued by saying "I find it reprehensible that the Ohio Republican "Party" would take advantage of this situation by claiming that they would help "hold them accountable" when in the Chairman's race, in which Mr. Borges was chosen over me, he made it perfectly clear that the ORP "Does not do Policy" and they are not in the business of holding anyone accountable for anything. Particularly if they are Republicans who want to grow government by Expanding Medicaid and who want to support gay-marriage. Anyone who gives money to the Ohio Republican "Party", which by it's own admission is not a political party at all but actually just a perpetual campaign organization, is wasting their money and will not help us fight the IRS. Donations should be made to the Ohio Liberty Coalition which is actually holding the IRS accountable for this illegal activity and defending Freedom of Speech for all Americans. Donations can be made to the OLC on its webpage at www.OhioLibertyCoalition.org."

Donating to the ORP will have exactly ZERO impact on the issue at hand. What's worse is the ORP intelligentsia know that. That they do it anyway is the biggest insult of them all.

Ohio Democratic Party Shenanigans Enter ORP Chairman Race

I am not going to go in to the details of this, but if you haven't heard from elsewhere: Ohio's Democrats have taken notice of the ORP Chairman race and have decided to have their smearmeister, Jerid Kurtz, do his usual slime...

Kurtz called Tom Zawistowski, who is a Tea Party leader and is running for ORP Chairman, and told him to check his email and that there would be information he could use against ORP Executive Director and front-runner for the Chairmanship, Matt Borges. The information that Jerid provided via email (information which I have not confirmed and really isn't as "hot" as Jerid would have us believe because if it were, Jerid would have used it already) regards Borges' old voter registration in another state.

Tom Z. did the right and honorable thing when he received this email. He sent it to Borges so he could be ready to defend himself to this attack when it comes from Kurtz or whichever operative ends up running that particular hit. But that didn't stop the establishment hacks in the ORP State Central Committee from running their own sleaze against Tom Z.

State Central Committeewoman Sarah Brown of district 29, sent an email out to the entire state committee claiming that Tom was working with Jerid. You couldn't devise a more ridiculous or absurd lie than that but that is how far the establishment is prepared to go to protect their anointed one: Matt Borges.

Borges has enough skeletons in his closet as it is. If the state central committee is stupid enough to elect him, then it would appear that any legitimate means to reform the party are dead. The Know-It-Alls in Columbus think they can shut down anyone who opposes their scheming, but all they are doing is losing voters who are sick of this sort of backroom deal-making that can only ultimately benefit Democrats.

Ms. Brown ought to be ashamed of herself playing in to Jerid's hands like that. What utter tomfoolery and asinine charlatans we have on the state central committee. Personally, I am disgusted with them and their nonsense.

Zawistowski to Run for Ohio Republican Party Chairman

When confronted with the reality that there was no other candidate than Matt Borges, Tea Party "leader" Tom Zawistowski announced today his intention to run for Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. In an email sent to WMD, Zawistowski reveals the thought process that leads him to believe it is time for a liberty movement leader at the top of the Ohio GOP.

After the letter went out, we started to contact State Central Committee members asking them to not vote for Mr. Borges. Many of them told us that they had to vote for Mr. Borges because he was the only candidate. Some even said that they were told that "no one else wanted the job" and "no one else wants to make the commitment." No one wants to be Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party? What does that say about the Ohio Republican Party? Nothing good. The fact is that their is only one candidate, because the party does not want any other candidate. So, even though the vote is not until April 25th, the vote is only a formality that the State Central Committee members have to go through even though they are being denied any choice for their vote. So, many Liberty Leaders, who did not want Mr. Borges, started to make calls asking other prominent Republicans to run and none would. We decided that if we did not want Mr. Borges, then we needed to offer an alternative. Otherwise we were just all talk and no action. That is the initial reason that I decided to run for Chairman.

Tom Zawistowski

Then after considering carefully what I was about to do, it became clear to me that this was actually the only logical thing to do at this point in our movement. First, I was qualified. I can do the job and do it well. Second, we are all sick and tired of fighting each other and would really like to come together and take the fight to our true enemies, the "regressive" left. The best way to do that, would be to bring the various factions of the Republican coalition together and focus their collective energies to be effective. I believe that I can do that and if I can do that I should do it. If they reject my bid, and more importantly push through Medicaid Expansion, then it will be clear to all of us that they do not intend to change the direction of the Party or more importantly embrace us as part of the party. The bottom line is that we have been dancing with the Republican party for four years and it is time to either come together or go our separate ways. I think most of us are more than ready to go our separate ways, but that something that we all know is not the quickest way to reach our goals. Therefore, I believe that we must try, one more time, to reach our hand out to the Republican Party to form a conservative alliance

WMD is of the opinion that Zawistowski would indeed be the better choice, but knowing the State Central Committee as we do it is more likely that Don Quixote will finally strike his windmill. We would, however, be pleasantly pleased and surprised if the alternative were to actually happen.

For far too long, the players in the smoke-filled backrooms of the party headquarters have been making their deals and setting the rocky course for our party. This sort of move is exactly the kind of reform that WMD considers necessary in order for real change to take place.

PREDICTION: ORPSCC will stick with the establishment and go with Borges even though it is the wrong move.

DOCUMENTS:

Tom Zawistowski letter to ORP Dated 4/2/13:

ORP Letter 4213

Tom Zawistowski Letter to ORP State Central Committee:

ORP State Central Com Members

Statewide Coalition of Conservatives Reject Direction of Ohio Republican Party

Release:

Columbus, Ohio - A statewide coalition of social and fiscal conservative leaders in Ohio today announced a rejection of the current direction of the state Republican leadership.

While signers of this statement put emphases on different policies, all the signers believe that Ohio is best served with limited government and low taxation, affirm the definition of marriage as one man and one woman as specified in Ohio's Constitution, stand for the right to life for unborn children, and believe that the State Republican Party Chairman should reflect and fight for these values.

In recent months, Ohio has seen Governor John Kasich propose a "tax shift" unfairly targeting certain landowners and creating a drag on energy exploration, recommend the expansion of a failing Medicaid program, and propose an increasing budget.

Senator Rob Portman has reversed course, defying one of the key planks of the Republican Party Platform to take a position in support of same-sex marriage. This dismisses the views of roughly 3.3 million Ohioans who in 2004 voted for a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman.

Finally, this week, the elected statewide Republican officials declared their support for Matt Borges to replace Bob Bennett as Ohio Republican Party Chairman. Dismissing other potential candidates for the chairman's position, these statewide Republican officials endorsed Borges, a man who plead guilty to a misdemeanor for improper use of public office in a bribery investigation and served as a lobbyist for the liberal homosexual activist group, Equality Ohio.

This statement of rejection is not personal - the individuals above have reasons and explanations for their actions. Nor is this statement designed to elicit a specific response. This statement is merely to inform the public that we have not moved on these issues important to our fellow Buckeyes and we will not accept this leadership which is inconsistent with the principles of the Republican Party.

Tom Zawistowski, President of the We the People Convention and Executive Director of the Portage County TEA Party, said, "The leaders of the Republican Party in Ohio have chosen to separate themselves and the party from the wishes and values of their support base. Not just liberty group members and social conservative voters, but rank and file registered Republican voters who overwhelmingly voted for the Ohio Healthcare Amendment. With this letter we put the party bosses on notice that we reject their betrayal of the party platform and our conservative values. We will not support them going forward but will instead support those who are true to our cause."

"With sadness I put my name on this statement," said Seth Morgan, former State Representative and Conservative Coalition Leader. "Never have I been more concerned for the direction of our state and country - largely due to a failure in leadership. Why would the Republican leaders put themselves at odds with sound public policy and the platform of their own party?"

"Some of our Republican officials seem hell-bent on alienating conservative voters and volunteers, which reduces voter turnout. They ignore the GOP platform, choosing to put themselves outside the mainstream of our party base," said Lori Viars, Vice President of Warren County Right To Life,who also serves as Vice Chair of the Warren County Republican Party.

The signers below call on like-minded conservative Ohioans to organize and prepare for the challenges we and our neighbors are facing.

The initial signers below are represented in their personal / individual capacities. Titles and organization are listed for identification purposes only.





Seth Morgan,Former State Representative and Conservative Coalition Leader

Tom Zawistowski, President, We the People Convention; Executive Director, Portage County TEA Party

Lori Viars, Vice President, Warren County Right To Life

Bobbi Radeck, State Director, Concerned Women for America

Linda Harvey, Radio Host andPresident, Mission America

Don Birdsall, President, Dayton TEA Party

Joseph Platt, Esq., Board Member, Family First

Andrew Pappas, Leader, Anderson Tea Party

Pastor Andy Douglas, Director, Christians for Constitutional Awareness

Linda Reidelbach, Former State Representative; Delaware County Republican Central Committee member

Tom Brinkman, Jr., Former State Representative; Chairman of C.O.A.S.T. (Coalition Opposed To Additional Spending & Taxes)

Mark Stevenson, Founder,Ohioans For Educational Freedom

Sue Hardenbergh, Hamilton Co. Republican Central Committee Member

John McAvoy, Board of Directors, NW Ohio Conservative Coalition

Janet (Folger) Porter, President, Faith2Action; Former Republican State Central Committee Member

Ryan Bolyard, Wayne County, Ohio; President, Hillsdale College Republicans

Paula Bolyard, Doylestown, Ohio; Conservative Blogger

Roseann Siderits, Board Member, Family First

Pastor J.C. Church, President of 3 Cord Alliance, Crawford County, Ohio

Marianne Gasiecki, State Co-Coordinator (OH), Tea Party Patriots

Wendy Sizemore, Leader, Pickaway County 9-12 Project Liberty Group

Glenn Newman, Founder, Marietta 9-12 Project

Randy Wilson, National Director, Watchmen on the Wall

Thea Shoemake, Homeschool Leader; Former Vice Chair of Clermont Co. Republican Central Committee

Ralph Spampanato, Director, Stark - Tusc 9-12

Pastor Norman R. Perkins, Reaching for Success, Dayton, Ohio

Dana R. Adams, President, Akron Tea Party

Jim Green, President, North Central Ohio Conservatives, Inc.

Amy Brighton, Co-Founder & Co-Coordinator, Medina Tea Party Patriots

George & Darla Lee, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

Linda S. Barry, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

William E. Barry, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

Nelson Hack, Founder & Coordinator, Morrow County Tea Party

John Rhoad, Fayette County Coordinator, Ohioans for Healthcare Freedom

Connie Thompson, Athens, Ohio 9-12 Project

Margaret W. Hunt, Secretary, Geauga County Tea Party

Duane A. Plessinger, Director, Wayne County TEA Party; Member, Wayne Co. Republican Executive Committee

Anna Rehl, Founder, Licking County Organizing for Freedom

Patricia Eshleman, Leadership Team, Preble County Liberty Group

James W. Hellyer, Chairman, Licking County Tea Party

Judith L. Guju, Hamilton County Republican Central Committee

Mike Snead, President, Beavercreek Liberty Group

Andrew E. Russ, Esq., Counsel for Ohio TEA Party & Patriot Groups

Sharon Blocher, Stark - Tusc 9-12 Patriots

Van Pratt, President, Clinton County Tea Party

Mark Haverkos, Butler County Republican Central Committee

Beth Cox, Preble County Liberty Group

Richard Geyer, President, Society of Conservatives, United for Independence, Representative Republic, Equality & Liberty (SCUIRREL)

George Momirov, Director, Upper Arlington 9-12 Group

Ethlyn Kennedy, Treasurer, Lorain County 9-12 Tea Party

Jeff Malek, Founder, Wadsworth 9-12 Group

Bonnie Arnold, Marietta 9-12 Project

Linda Studer, Director, Wayne County Tea Party

Jon Eells, Marietta, Ohio 9-12 Project

Bob Longshore, Committee Chairman, Portage County TEA Party

Amanda Suffecool, President, Portage County TEA Party; Director, REALIZE Firearms Awareness Coalition

Mary Lou Cook, Co-Organizer, Voices of Liberty, Marion, Ohio Tea Party

Pastor Bob Tarasiak, Family Fellowship Church, Conneaut, Ohio

Linda Bishop, Committee Member, Findlay 9-12 Group

Carol Bicking, Gahanna Freedom Alliance

Larry Heller, Leader, Miami Township Tea Party; Steering Committee, Clermont Co. Tea Party; Clermont Co. Republican Central Committee

Jim Horton, Committee Member, Northwest Ohio Freedom Alliance

Karl W. Vonvaltier, Leader, Delaware County 9-12

Ken Kay, Executive Director, The Coalition of Freedom

Kirsten Hill, Chairman, Lorain County TEA Party

Mark Lucas, Director, Hilliard-Galloway Tea Party; Leader, Northwest Columbus 9-12

Emily Harris, Warren County Republican Executive Committee

Robert Lloyd, Director, Knox County 9-12 Project

Mary Gam, Director, Knox County 9-12 Project

Dan W. Offineer, Representative, Knox County 9-12 Patriots

Roger Baxter, Vice Chair, Clermont County Tea Party

Kirk "Shovel" Goings, National Road Captain, Sons of Liberty Riders

Joe Daly, Hamilton County Republican Central Committee

Sharon Poe, Secretary, Warren County Tea Party

Thomas Reynolds, Founder & Past President, Top of Ohio Patriots

James E. Burkholder, Vice Chairman, Top of Ohio Patriots 9-12

Kay Clymer, President, Zanesville Patriots

Kathy Freudenberger, Leader, Bethel Tea Party; Secretary, Clermont Co. Republican Party

Rev. Katherine Marple, Founder, Keep Life Legal Ministries

Ralph King, State Co-Coordinator (OH), Tea Party Patriots; Co-Founder Cleveland TEA Party Patriots

Carol Greenberg, Conservative Blogger; NW Ohio Conservative Coalition

Virginia Mack, Chairman, Putnam County Ohio Patriots

Jane Deeter, Leader, Huber Heights Liberty Group

ORP on SOTU

Statement:

COLUMBUS, OH- Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett released the following statement after President Obama's State of the Union Address.

"The President proved again tonight that talk is not cheap. He continues to spend money that our children will have to pay back and now - for the lack of a reasoned plan - he will give us random layoffs of government employees in Dayton, Cleveland, Mansfield and other Ohio communities. All this because he won't accept a Republican plan and neither he nor his fellow Democrats in the Senate will pass a competing plan. Democrat slogans on more taxes won't solve America's spending problem."

ORP on Kasich Budget

Release:

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett called Governor John Kasich's new Ohio Jobs 2.0 Budget blueprint a win for Ohio families.

"The smart and timely policies put forward in Governor Kasich's new budget really take President Obama to school," said ORP Chairman Bob Bennett.

"Ohio families should be pleased with Governor's new Jobs Budget 2.0 because it tackles the big challenges facing Ohio, and is a blueprint to provide funding for our schools, incentives to our college students to graduate faster, while also cutting income taxes, sales taxes, and taxes on small businesses. Governor Kasich's bold new budget builds on momentum from his last budget, and is essential to put Ohio's fiscal house back in order and continue our progress."

Today marked the deadline for President Obama to submit a budget to Congress. This is the fourth time in five years that he's failed to submit the budget on time and equal to the record of the previous three presidents.

ORP: Commemorating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Release:

COLUMBUS - The Ohio Republican Party released the following message commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bob Bennett (far left) and his wife Ruth Ann (far right) in October 1967 with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cleveland business leaders at Lancer's Steakhouse.

"While celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we commemorate the example he set for us to follow today," said Chairman Bennett. "He challenged our country to live up to its ideals of liberty, justice, and equality for all. His dream to end racism, segregation, and injustice was an inspiration for the people of America to be a better nation."

"Dr. King was a champion for those in need and we are a better country today because of him."

"Today, we honor his legacy by standing up to defend the liberties of everyone in our society and strive to always lend a helping hand to those who are victims of prejudice, those who are hurting, or who are struggling economically."

  

News Background:

"Visitors to the office of Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett over the years have been greeted by a somewhat ironic image." ("Ohio GOP Chairman Recalls '67 Encounter with King," Associated Press, 1/20/13)

Chairman Bennett on Ohio's Falling Unemployment Rate

Release:

COLUMBUS - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett said that Ohio's falling unemployment rate is a direct result of the smart and innovative policies of Governor John Kasich, Republicans in the legislature, and other Republicans in statewide offices.

"Unemployment is falling in Ohio because more Ohioans are creating jobs. Ohio is finally open for ideas thanks to our Republican leaders who are making wise decisions and enacting bright new policies, but we still have a lot of work to do to keep Ohio's momentum moving forward."

Ohio's unemployment rate continued to fall today to 6.7 percent and still remains well below the national unemployment rate of 7.8 percent. This is Ohio's lowest unemployment rate in over four years.

Bob Bennett Re-Elected Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party

Release:

COLUMBUS - Bob Bennett released the following statement after he was unanimously re-elected to serve another term as Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party.

New ORP Officers

Marilyn Ashcraft (Marietta), Tracey Winbush (Youngstown), Bob Bennett (Cleveland), Ranae Lentz (Bellefontaine)

"I'm proud to serve a twelfth term as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party and I'm honored to chair the Party of leaders who aren't afraid to tackle the big and challenging issues facing hard working Ohio families."

Executive officers for the Ohio Republican Party will serve two year terms. The following officers were elected today:

Chairman: Bob Bennett
Secretary: Marilyn Ashcraft
Treasurer: Ranae Lentz
Assistant Treasurer: Tracey Winbush

Jo Ann Davidson will serve as Temporary Vice Chairman until a candidate is elected at the next State Committee meeting on April 12th. The Ohio Republican Party's full election results are available on request. Officers were sworn-in by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judi French.

Chairman Bennett Praises New Members of Congress and Boehner's Re-election as Speaker

Release:

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett congratulated Ohio's newest Republican Members of Congress David Joyce and Brad Wenstrup as they are sworn into the 113th Congress today and praised John Boehner's re-election as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives calling it another big step for Ohioans.

"Congressman Joyce and Congressman Wenstrup will show dedication in serving their respective districts as they have throughout their public service careers and we're proud to support them.

"Congressman John Boehner's re-election as Speaker is a distinct honor for all Ohioans as he continues the legacy set by fellow Ohio Congressman Nicholas Longworth who was speaker for the 69th, 70th and 71st Congress. Speaker Boehner will lead the 113th Congress with the same sincerity, conviction and commitment that he has shown in Congress for his district and for all Ohio."

Chairman Bennett on President Obama

Release:

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett criticized President Obama's decision to increase taxes on American families and his refusal to address the national debt crisis in 2012.

"President Obama would have kicked the can much farther down the road than he already has without Republicans working to stop wasteful government spending and end onerous tax increases on hardworking middle class families. President Obama ended 2012 as promised by raising taxes and refusing to cut spending."

Chairman Bennett Praises Judi French Appointment

Release:

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Today Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett congratulated Governor Kasich's leadership in appointing Mahoning County native Judge Judith French to the Ohio Supreme Court saying that his choice brings honesty, temperament, and a distinguished legal background to the bench.

"Governor Kasich made the right choice today. Judge French has been committed to fairly and impartially interpreting the law for as long as I've known her and her proven legal experience and objectivity will serve the Supreme Court and people of Ohio well. Judge French is a supreme pick to succeed Justice Stratton and I look forward to her new role serving the people of Ohio."

Faber Elected President of the Ohio Senate

Release:

(Columbus) –Members of the Senate Majority Caucus today unanimously elected Senator Keith Faber (R-Celina) to serve as President of the Ohio Senate for the 130th General Assembly.

President-elect Faber is the first Senate President to serve from Mercer County. He was elected to the Ohio Senate in 2007 and has served in leadership since 2009, first as Majority Floor Leader and most currently as President Pro Tempore – the chamber’s number two position. Prior to serving in the Ohio Senate, Senator Faber served three consecutive terms in the Ohio House of Representatives.

"I'm humbled and honored to have the confidence of my colleagues in leading one of the most respected legislative institutions in the nation," said Faber. "I look forward to building on the progress we've already made in revitalizing our economy and getting Ohioans back to work. That will continue to be priority number one in the next General Assembly."

Senator Faber will assume his role as Senate President January 7, 2013 along with Senator Chris Widener (R-Springfield) who was unanimously elected President Pro Tempore; Senator Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) reelected as Majority Floor Leader, and Senator Larry Obhof (R-Medina) who was named Majority Whip.

Senator Widener has served in the Ohio Senate since 2009. He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which is responsible for helping craft the state budget and overseeing other state-related fiscal matters. Before coming to the Senate, Senator Widener served as three terms as state representative. An architect by trade, he and his wife live in Springfield with their two children.

First appointed to the Ohio Senate in 2008, Senator Patton has a long history of serving the people of Cuyahoga County, having served six years in the Ohio House of Representatives. He has held the post of Majority Floor Leader since September 2011. A widower, he raised his family of five daughters and one son in Strongsville.

Senator Obhof was appointed to the 22nd Ohio Senate District last year, and has focused his legislative efforts on improving Ohio’s economy and creating opportunities for job growth. A graduate of The Ohio State University and Yale Law School, Obhof also works as an attorney with the national law firm Baker & Hostetler. He lives in Medina with his wife and three daughters.

Senator Faber represents the 12th Senate District, including Allen, a portion of Auglaize, Champaign, a portion of Darke, Mercer, Preble and Shelby counties. Outside his legislative duties, Faber is the principal partner in the law firm Faber and Associates. He and his wife Andrea live outside Celina in Mercer with their two children.