Tuesday’s Ohio primary isn’t just a battle between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum for the Buckeye State’s GOP delegates. When Ohio’s new Congressional districts were drawn late last year, the question loomed: where would Dennis Kucinich seek re-election (if at all).
There was some speculation he would run for Congress in Washington State, since it was gaining a seat. Kucinich put those rumors to rest and declared he would stay in Ohio and seek re-election. In December, once the districts were redrawn, it was decided Kucinich would square off with Toledo-based Congresswoman, Marcy Kaptur, in the 9th District.
Kucinich, known as Cleveland’s “boy mayor,” gained notoriety for putting the city into default in the late 1970s. After a brief stint in political exile, he was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996. Aside from running for President every few years, Kucinich likes to hang out with celebrities. Oh, he also believes in aliens.
Kaptur, elected to the House of Representatives in 1982, is one of the most senior members of Congress and is known for being tough as nails, smart and very capable, even among Republicans. She has the edge, as it is her longtime district. Kucinich’s former 10th District was divvied up between the new 9th and 16th Districts. Ohio’s 16th Congressional District a seat currently held by Republican Jim Renacci.
It’s not looking good for Kucinich on Tuesday. Kaptur nabbed every major newspaper endorsement in the district, including Kucinich’s hometown paper, The Plain Dealer. The PD’s Editorial Board stated,
This isn’t the first time Kucinich has been accused of losing focus on Northeast Ohio. In 2008, Cleveland City Councilman, Joe Cimperman, ran an aggressive primary challenge against Kucinich, calling him a “part-time Congressman” and released a series of videos highlighting just how out of touch Kucinich was with his hometown (My favorite? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly parody). Cimperman received the The Plain Dealer’s endorsement, but lost the primary. Kucinich handily won re-election.
The point being, Northeast Ohio has lost some of its love for Dennis Kucinich. And in a new district comprised mainly of Kaptur’s powerbase hurts him.
It doesn’t help his cause that Kaptur was recently endorsed by Tom Hanks and former Republican Senator and presidential nominee Bob Dole of Kansas. Kucinich’s biggest endorsement has come from retiring Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank. Considering Northern Ohio has been hit exceptionally hard by the recession and housing crisis, the endorsement of the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee (and co-author of the controversial Dodd-Frank bill) probably won’t mean much to the people of his district. However, an endorsement from Forrest Gump? Very impressive.
If I were a Democrat voting in the 9th District, I’d be casting my ballot for Marcy Kaptur. She’s proven she’s experienced and gets work accomplished. Kucinich has become a walking punchline in the past few years. However, as a Republican, I’d happily cast my vote for Kucinich, knowing he’s ineffective and won’t do much, save a few odd speeches on the House floor.
