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Published: Saturday, August 5, 2006

House leader points to need for win in 6th

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The seat is occupied now by governor candidate Ted Strickland.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

BOARDMAN — Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert says the Ohio 6th Congressional District is among only a dozen or so competitive races for open House seats in the country.

Hastert campaigned Friday for state Rep. Chuck Blasdel of East Liverpool, the Republican nominee in the 6th District race, raising about $50,000 at an event at the Tippecanoe Country Club in Canfield. About 80 people attended the event.

"This is an important race for us," Hastert said during a press conference at Mahoning County Republican headquarters on U.S. Route 224 in Boardman.

Republicans have to protect incumbents running for re-election and make sure they retain seats being vacated by party members, he said. But it's also important to pick up open seats currently held by Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, the Lisbon Democrat who currently holds the 6th seat, isn't running for re-election. He is the Democratic nominee for governor.

Opponent

Blasdel will face state Sen. Charlie Wilson, a St. Clairsville Democrat, in the November general election.

"We have to play offense and we have a great candidate" in Blasdel, Hastert said. "We'll do whatever we can to make sure he wins."

Most political forecasters say the Wilson-Blasdel race is one of the most competitive in the country.

Hastert said the race is going to be a tough one, but Blasdel is a strong candidate and has the party's full support. Besides qualifications, Blasdel needs money to win the race, Hastert said.

Through June 30, the latest campaign filing date for congressional candidates, Wilson had raised $1.31 million and had $290,442 cash on hand. In comparison, Blasdel raised $779,810 through June 30 and had $277,155 on hand.

"What Speaker Hastert forgot when he came out of his bubble is, it's not about money, but jobs," said Brian Rothenberg, Ohio Democratic Party spokesman. "If Republicans could figure that out, they wouldn't be in so much trouble."

Hastert is the latest Republican heavy-hitter to campaign for Blasdel. Others include Vice President Dick Cheney and House Majority Leader John Boehner.

"This shows the credibility of this candidacy," Blasdel said. "This speaks volumes for my candidacy that the speaker is here."

Hastert said the 12-county 6th District, which includes Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County, is among about a dozen or so open races nationwide being targeted by Republicans, and the only one in Ohio.

13th seat

When asked about the 13th District seat — being vacated by U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Avon, who's running for the U.S. Senate — Hastert said, "Somebody's running there, but the numbers aren't as favorable there" as in the 6th District race.

The 13th District race pits ex-state Rep. Betty Sutton, an Akron Democrat, against Lorain Mayor Craig Foltin, a Republican.

Rothenberg said he was pleased that Hastert agrees with Democrats on the 13th District race.

Hastert was also asked about ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., sent to federal prison in 2002 after being convicted of 12 counts, including bribery and tax evasion. Traficant, then a Democrat, ruffled feathers earlier that year by crossing party lines to vote for Hastert as House speaker. Traficant had bragged about his relationship with Hastert when he was a congressman.

"Jim was a character," Hastert said. "... We always looked at him as an unusual guy. He was on the other side. Sometimes he had some maverick votes. That's all we knew about him."

skolnick@vindy.com

Saturday, August 5, 2006