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Turner could face opposition in his re-election bid

Rene Oberer

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By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 4:35 PM Monday, February 15, 2010

DAYTON — Rene Oberer, who has spent years working in or operating small businesses and believes the federal government is overburdening small companies, said Sunday, Feb. 14, that she plans to be a candidate in the May 4 Republican primary election for the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville.

The government is spending too much and shouldn’t be taking over banks or holding ownership of companies such as General Motors Corp., Oberer said.

“I haven’t liked for a long time how the country has been going, and I decided to do something about it,” she said of her decision to be a candidate for Congress.

It will be her first run for any public office, she said.

Turner, 50, a former Dayton mayor, is running for election to what would be his fifth consecutive term representing Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District. Spokesmen for Turner did not return telephone calls Sunday night requesting comment.

Oberer, 53, of Butler Twp. in Montgomery County, said she plans to make a formal announcement of her candidacy as early as Wednesday, Feb. 17, at a time and place to be determined. She formerly operated a dance studio. With her husband, John Coles, she now runs HeatSeekers Thermal Imaging, a business that provides energy scans for private homes.

Oberer said she turned in 149 petition signatures earlier this month to the Montgomery County Board of Elections and that the board checked 73 of them, finding that 53 were valid.

Steve Harsman, the county’s director of elections, confirmed Sunday night that Oberer had met the requirement of at least 50 valid signatures to appear on the ballot. He said he will recommend that the elections board certify Oberer for the May ballot.

The filing deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday, and so far no Democrat has stepped forward to run.

Jane Mitakides, a Democrat, ran against Turner in the 2008 election. She has said she won’t run again this year.

Mark Owens, chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party, said he has spoken to several potential candidates and hopes to have one by the filing deadline. He declined to identify the people with whom he has spoken.

Dr. Mark MacNealy, 59, a neurologist from Vandalia, said he has taken out petitions to run in the Democratic primary. MacNealy said Sunday night that he has collected at least 50 signatures, but hasn’t yet submitted them to the elections board.

MacNealy said he briefly ran for Montgomery County coroner in 2008 but withdrew in order to care for his ailing mother, who later died. He has not made any other run for public office, he said.

“I think that people really want to have their voice heard in Washington,” MacNealy said. “I just feel that the 3rd District is an important one.”

The district includes Clinton County, Highland County, half of Warren County and most of Montgomery County.

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