Ahead, Sykes refuses debate

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The Democrat says there's no benefit to her campaign to debate the Republican.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — With polls showing her leading in the Ohio auditor's race, Democrat Barbara Sykes said she has no interest in debating her Republican opponent.

"Why ... would I help her?" Sykes, a state representative from Akron, said of state Rep. Mary Taylor of Green, her Republican opponent.

Sykes said to allow Taylor to appear with her for a debate could only benefit the Republican, who trails in polls.

Taylor has criticized Sykes during the past few weeks for refusing to debate her except for one face-to-face event set for Friday at the University of Akron. The two have appeared together for a few newspaper endorsement meetings.

Taylor wanted three other debates in Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus before the Nov. 7 election, but Sykes is refusing to participate in those events.

"I'm no fool," Sykes told The Vindicator on Wednesday. "Why should I let her share the stage with me? I don't want her to be with me to get her name out. She's running behind and she wants to use the debate to try to catch up to me."

Taylor spoke at the Toledo debate Friday, which included candidates for other statewide offices. She will speak at the Cleveland City Club on Monday.

Sykes "identified the exact reason she doesn't want to debate me," Taylor said. "My qualifications resonate better than hers. She knows that with the two of us in a public forum, I'm the better candidate. She's all but admitted she can win the race only if voters don't know the qualifications of both candidates."

Sykes said "no one wants to hear four debates" between the auditor candidates.

"You can't get four debates for the governor's office," Sykes said. "The last one was in Cincinnati — [Republican gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth] Blackwell's hometown — and it wasn't a full crowd. She wants to debate to get her name out, and I'm not going to do that."

Calls foe unfit

Taylor says Sykes isn't fit to hold the office of state auditor. Taylor said her 12 years as a certified public accountant and her educational background in accounting and taxation make her the best candidate. If elected, Taylor would be the first CPA to serve as state auditor.

"There is a distinct difference between the candidates," Taylor said. "She says she can manage, but she doesn't know the operations of the auditor's office."

Sykes spent 12 years as a deputy auditor in the Summit County Auditor's Office and has a master of public administration degree from the University of Akron. Taylor dismissed Sykes' work at the county auditor level as not directly related to what the state auditor does. Sykes disagrees.

"It's not the initials that come behind your name that makes the person," Sykes said. "To hang your hat on that isn't enough to make you the best candidate. This job is an administrative position."

Sykes freely admits she planned to retire from politics when her fourth and final two-year term in the Ohio House expired at the end of this year. But Democratic leaders urged her to run for the seat.

"It wasn't an easy decision to make to run," she said. "But I felt I could still contribute."

skolnick@vindy.com

Wednesday, October 11, 2006