Fisher’s senate campaign focused on job creation

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher says policies set in Washington, D.C., can hamper the state's efforts to turn around its sagging economy. Associated Press photo by Tony Dejak

Tony Dejak/STF Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher says policies set in Washington, D.C., can hamper the state's efforts to turn around its sagging economy. Associated Press photo by Tony Dejak

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By Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Bureau Updated 10:50 PM Saturday, April 17, 2010

COLUMBUS — While ASTAR Air Cargo Chief Executive John Dasburg often gives to political candidates, it’s rare when any of his money goes to a Democrat.

He made an exception for Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher after seeing how the Democrat fought to keep DHL Worldwide in Wilmington. Dasburg’s company is a DHL contractor that lost jobs and business when the German company left town.

“In this case, Lt. Gov. Fisher called me and asked for my support in his primary campaign. I agreed with the full understanding that I would only support his candidacy during the primary,” said Dasburg who contributed $4,800 along with his wife. “I appreciate his efforts on behalf of ASTAR.”

Despite Fisher’s efforts, DHL pulled out of Wilmington and jilted 8,000 workers. Fisher calls it “the greatest tragedy of this recession.”

The central message in Fisher’s campaign is jobs. His TV ad says it, his campaign literature says it, and Fisher says it in nearly every campaign appearance as he touts his two years as state development director and his continuing work on economic development for Ohio.

“I think that the people of Ohio deserve someone who has spent years on the ground fighting for them, fighting with them and focusing on their everyday concerns,” Fisher said. “The top of that list is jobs. I’m prepared to fight everyday on behalf of Ohio’s middle class families, to help them get jobs, keep jobs and help them grow our economy.”

Fisher faces Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on May 4 for the Democratic Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate. The winner will face Republican Rob Portman, a former congressman who also served as budget director and U.S. trade representative for George W. Bush. Portman has $7.6 million in his campaign war chest, but he has never run statewide.

Fisher, 58, last won statewide elective office on his own in 1990 when he became Ohio attorney general. He lost re-election in 1994 and lost the governor’s race to Bob Taft in 1998.

His revival on the statewide level came in 2006 when he won as Democrat Ted Strickland’s running mate.

Although Fisher has been on the Ohio political stage for more than two decades, he is running as an “outsider” and trying to portray Portman as the ultimate Washington insider.

“This is about a stark a choice as you can get between the past and the future,” Fisher said.

There was talk early in the Strickland administration that Fisher planned to run for U.S. Senate. But Fisher said it wasn’t until the fall of 2008 that he realized that policies set in Washington, D.C., were driving Ohio into an economic ditch and undercutting work done in Columbus to turn the state around. That’s when he decided to run, he said.

Fisher, the oldest of four children and the son of a lawyer and a homemaker in Cleveland, fell in love with politics as a sixth-grader at Fernway Elementary School. In a race for class president, Fisher took on the ever-popular and handsome Billy Riley. Riley anticipated winning on his good looks while Fisher asked each student for their support, according to Fisher’s version.

Fisher won the race and took a shine to politics.

Before Fisher goes to Washington, though, he needs to win his party’s nomination by beating Brunner, who has run a feisty campaign on a shoestring budget, and then topple Portman in what many see as a Republican year.

Brunner accuses Fisher of running a negative campaign against her and pressuring donors not to contribute to her campaign — charges Fisher denies. She also said Fisher resigned as development director so he could solicit business leaders who had benefited from development department grants and loans.

Again, Fisher denies the charge but his campaign received nearly $20,000 from eight business leaders whose companies collectively received $12.9 million in state loans, tax credits or grants.

Fisher said the contributions are not connected to the state help in any way.

On Friday, Brunner attacked Fisher again for accepting more than $30,000 from financial institutions’ political action committees and bankers who received billions in federal bailout money.

“How can Ohioans believe Lee Fisher when he says he’ll fight for better banking regulation when he asks for and gets tens of thousands of dollars from the very creators of the culture that created the mess and the misery?” Brunner asked in a written statement.

Fisher said he stands behind his long record of public service.

“I’m very proud to receive support from people who have seen me save and create jobs and help companies grow,” he said. “That’s why I’m running — it’s all about jobs.”

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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