And, if incumbent Commissioners Don Dixon and Chuck Furmon also seek re-election next year — both have expressed that intent — Combs said, though he would prefer not to challenge an incumbent in the 2012 GOP primary, he would run against Furmon.
“I just think it’s time to pull this commission back together, and I think I’ve got the ability to do that. Chuck has been there a long time, and I would say that would be the one I would look at it.”
Furmon said he isn’t concerned.
“That’s politics,” he said. “That’s the name of the game.”
The race for Furmon’s seat is setting up to be a crowded one. T.C. Rogers of West Chester Twp. and Furmon have both pulled petitions for the commission seat.
Combs has yet to pull a petition, but said he made his decision Tuesday.
Dixon also has not yet pulled a petition to run, though he said, “I’ve been planning for this campaign for the past several months.”
Combs, 65, had sought the Butler County GOP’s recommendation to replace Cates, who is resigning May 23 to take the senior vice chancellor’s job with the Ohio Board of Regents.
With Combs out of consideration, that leaves five seeking the Butler County GOP recommendation: state Rep. Bill Coley, R-Liberty Twp.; state Rep. Tim Derickson, Hanover Twp.; Mark Haverkos, West Chester Twp., small-business owner; Stuart Locke, Middletown, former member of the Butler County Education Service Center; and Shawn McCabe, Fairfield Twp., county GOP Central Committee member.
While the local party can make recommendations, the appointment will be made by the Ohio Senate Republican Caucus.
Combs said he wanted to fulfill his final term as the 54th House District representative, which expires in 2012.
He currently serves as chairman of the House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, and the vice chairman of the State Government and Elections Committee.
Combs said he thought about running for the senate seat in November 2012, but said he felt his talents would be better suited at the county level.
““I do my best to pull people together and get people to work together and harmonize, and honestly Butler County needs it badly,” he said.
Combs served on the commission for 18 years before taking the Ohio House seat held then by Greg Jolivette, who then served on the commission in the seat formerly held by Combs.
No Democrats had taken out a petition for either commission seat as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Butler County Board of Elections.
Contact this reporter at (513)
820-2175
or
mpitman
@coxohio.com.
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