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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > November > 07
Friday, November 7, 2008
Boehner will seek leader position again; shake-ups elsewhere
House Minority Leader John Boehner, who watched his party lose at least 19 congressional seats Nov. 4, is seeking two more years as Republican leader.
But other members of House leadership have already signaled they plan to step down, and it’s unknown yet whether Boehner himself will be challenged in January when the new Congress begins. No challenger has stepped up yet.
Already planning to step down from their leadership posts are Reps. Adam Putnam, R-Fla. and Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, the third and second-ranking members of GOP leadership.
Boehner, R-West Chester, signaled Thursday that he will support Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., to replace Putnam. Blunt’s decision to step down also clears the way for Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., who is currently chief deputy whip to replace Blunt as House Whip. Cantor was viewed as a possible challenger to Boehner for the top position.
Boehner signaled his intention to run for leader again in a Nov. 5 letter.
“We have not yet convinced the American people that Republicans have returned to our roots as the party of reform,” he wrote in a letter sent to his Republican colleagues. ” We haven’t yet earned their trust. But we will.”
He also published a similarly-worded editorial in The Washington Post.
Brunner to hold Ohio Election Summit
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner will hold an Ohio Election Summit in Columbus in early December.
Brunner will host the summit and Lawrence Norden, counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice, will chair the event, according to a press release on Friday, Nov. 7.
The event will build on what went right in the election and look at what can be done better, Brunner said in the press release.
“The Ohio Election Summit will help us use this election as a springboard to solidify best election practices that guarantee the strongest protections of democracy for the highest voter confidence,” Brunner said.
According to Brunner’s office, the summit will focus on:
*Elections best practices from Ohio’s 2008 election that can be solidified and documented for use in future elections and as part of national standards in election administration.
*A review of tested best practices from other states and research studies that could enhance the voting experience and elections administration in Ohio.
*Opportunities to streamline and simplify elections laws and administration in Ohio to provide for the greatest consistency and voter protection.
After the summit, Brunner plans to present Gov. Ted Strickland and the legislature with a report summarizing the summit’s recommended best practices. The Ohio Election Summit will be open to the public with pre-registration.
Brunner: Election “free, fair, open and honest”
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat under fire from Republicans for her handling of the presidential election, says things turned out just fine at the polls.
She made the comments on Thursday, Nov. 6, in an e-mail from her campaign committee - she’s expected to seek re-election in 2010 - not from the secretary of state’s office.
Without naming her predecessor, she also criticized outgoing Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.
“With a dedicated and talented team, hard working boards of elections and the help of many others who care deeply about democracy, Ohio has turned the corner with a free, fair and honest presidential election in Ohio held just two days ago,” the e-mail said.
As for the 2004 election under Blackwell:
“Because of the chaos and confusion that abounded in Ohio’s 2004 election, the state was held up to criticism and even ridicule, causing many to lose faith in what should be a solidly fair and democratic process.”
The e-mail, of course, asked her supporters to “contribute.”
Kevin DeWine, deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party and a big-time Brunner critic, praised local boards of elections on Thursday, but had no praise for Brunner.
Here’s the full e-mail from Brunner.
“Four years ago, I was a state trial court judge who watched in dismay as my state was demonized around the world for the way we conducted our presidential election.
Ohio was in the unenviable position of being the state that put the reelection of the President over the top in electoral votes, and many questioned whether they could trust our process.
Because of the chaos and confusion that abounded in Ohio’s 2004 election, the state was held up to criticism and even ridicule, causing many to lose faith in what should be a solidly fair and democratic process.
It was then that I resolved I would leave the bench and run for the office of secretary of state to try to restore the confidence of Ohio voters and of the country in our election system.
The struggle has been great to change the infrastructure of voting in Ohio in less than 22 months.
With a dedicated and talented team, hard working boards of elections and the help of many others who care deeply about democracy, Ohio has turned the corner with a free, fair, open and honest presidential election in Ohio held just two days ago.
Tuesday night, we celebrated the election of a new president, and in Ohio, many celebrated the fact that they could vote easily and with confidence. The lines were short, backup paper ballots were available and poll workers were better trained with consistent rules and resources to ensure we worked to protect the rights of every voter.
As we proceed to process provisional and absentee ballots during the 10-day period following the election, we will be abiding by uniform procedures and conducting the first statewide post-election audit of our presidential results.
The support of many like you has helped make this possible for Ohio and for our country. We hope you’ll take a look at the reports on these many changes and celebrate with us a better tomorrow for our state and our country.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Brunner Ohio Secretary of State”
