Party drops its challenge to Joy Padgett

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A special primary is scheduled for Sept. 14.

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Democratic Party said Friday it will not try to stop a Republican state senator's bid to replace U.S. Rep. Bob Ney in the race for his congressional seat, after nearly two weeks of threatening to challenge her right to run.

The Democrats had said that Joy Padgett was not eligible to be on the ballot because of Ohio laws that prohibit losers in primaries from running in a general election and forbid candidates from running for state and federal office in the same election. Padgett lost the GOP primary in May for lieutenant governor.

However, the Democrats changed their minds because Padgett will have challengers in a special primary Sept. 14 and avoiding a lawsuit will save money for their fall campaigns, party spokesman Brian Rothenberg said.

"Because of this process, the Republicans have been forced to have a primary out in the open," he said.

Padgett said the real reason the Democrats backed off was they knew they would lose. Padgett doesn't fall under either provision the Democrats were considering taking her to court over, she said.

"This is because they knew this was a wasted effort," she said.

Ney dropped his re-election campaign last week, citing the strain of an intensifying corruption investigation that has focused for months on his dealings with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Ney denies wrongdoing and has not been charged.

Padgett, of Coshocton, was picked for the ballot by Ney and House Majority Leader John Boehner. Democrats criticized the move and threatened to take Padgett and the GOP to court.

Republicans insisted the provisions in election law did not affect Padgett. A message seeking comment was left for Ohio GOP spokesman John McClelland.

Consultation

Democrats decided against a lawsuit after consulting with party lawyers, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the campaign of Zack Space, the party's candidate for Ney's seat, Rothenberg said.

Seven candidates have filed petitions to challenge Padgett in the Sept. 14 primary, but only six of them will appear on the ballot. They include Ralph Applegate of Columbus, who lost in the May 2 Democratic primary, and James Brodbelt Harris, a Zanesville financial analyst who received less than one third of the vote in the GOP primary against Ney.

The Tuscarawas County Board of Elections on Friday certified all the petitions except those submitted by Gregory Zelenitz of Belmont.

Also on Friday, the Montgomery County Board of Elections scheduled a special Democratic primary for Sept. 15 to replace Stephanie Studebaker in the 3rd Congressional District in southwest Ohio. Studebaker dropped out of the race Monday after being charged with domestic violence.

Studebaker and her husband, Sam, were booked Sunday morning into the Montgomery County jail after police answered calls about a fight in their home. Each was charged with domestic violence and released after posting a $25,000 bond.

Saturday, August 19, 2006