Ohio 15th Congressional District To See Rematch

Republican Stever Stivers will announce today he plans to run for the congressional seat he narrowly lost last November to democrat Mary Jo Kilroy.

Stivers' vote, analysts say, was diluted by the candidacies of two other individuals, who racked up 9 percent of ballots cast. Don Elijah Eckhart, a conservative independent, and Mark Noble, a Libertarian Party candidate (and a friend of mine with whom I have worked previously on 2A education issues) waged campaigns that many believe cut into Stivers' constituency (or he into their's?). In the end, Kilroy defeated Stivers by 2,312 votes out of more than 304,000 cast in the district -- my district -- which includes urban western Franklin County and parts of more rural Madison and Union counties.

Kilroy, who recently voted for the cap and trade bill, and who has taken a great deal of money -- and gladly accepted the endorsement -- of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (formerly Handgun Control Inc.)., is seen as vulnerable by some analysts as public opinion wanes over leadership in Washington, and as the democrat party now controls both the White House and the two houses of Congress with a filibuster-proof Senate.