DaytonDailyNews.com

Do not even think about voting for Sandra O'Brien, the Republican candidate for state treasurer. The contrast between her and Democrat Richard Cordray is breathtaking.

Mr. Cordray is bright and knowledgeable; Ms. O'Brien is confused and in over her head.

In an interview with the Dayton Daily News editorial board, one exchange in particular said it all. Both candidates currently are county officeholders, and Mr. Cordray pointed out that when one of Ms. O'Brien's employees was found to have embezzled some $40,000, she was twice criticized by the state auditor — fellow Republican Betty Montgomery — for not having good internal controls.

Ms. O'Brien defended her procedures saying she had safeguards on her top staffers, but she didn't put them in writing because she didn't want bright employees to know what her checks and balances were. She said the controls were known just to a select few.

Protecting against mismanagement can't be achieved by having policies in your head. They have to be on paper, and practiced, so that graft can't occur in the first place.

Is Ms. O'Brien the person you want investing the state's billions?

Many Republicans are embarrassed by Ms. O'Brien's candidacy. In the primary last spring, she came out of nowhere, beating Jennette Bradley, who had been appointed to the treasurer's position. Ms. O'Brien courted many of the same hard-line conservatives who turned out in support of J. Kenneth Blackwell for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

A former schoolteacher, Ms. O'Brien's conservative positions on social positions wouldn't be relevant in the treasurer's office. What's important is that she struggles to make her arguments and there's much about public finance that she doesn't understand, notwithstanding her 12 years as Ashtabula County auditor.

Informed citizens will not just vote against Sandra O'Brien, but for Richard Cordray.

He is a substantial candidate who's had a devil of a time prevailing in big, hot races. Still, he's the kind of candidate Ohio needs more of.

After losing bids for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate (against former Gov. Richard Celeste's brother, Ted); attorney general (against Betty Montgomery); and a U.S. House race (against Deborah Pryce), he has twice been elected Franklin County treasurer.

An attorney, he also has worked in the Ohio attorney general's office and served in the Legislature. Mr. Cordray, 47, also is known in both parties for doing the right thing.

This year, for instance, he was among the Democrats who earnestly and sincerely tried to work with Republicans to write a proposal that would make Ohio's elections more competitive — changing the practice of concentrating voters in legislative districts so that one or the other political parties can't possibly mount a serious challenge unless the dominant party's candidate is a thief.

Mr. Cordray has an excellent reputation in Franklin County, where he's credited with being aggressive about squeezing overdue taxes from delinquents and for supporting innovative investment policies and strategies. The office he's run is also bigger and more complex than Ms. O'Brien's.

There is no contest here. It's Richard Cordray for state treasurer.