As expected, State Sen. Joy Padgett has won the Republican primary to replace resigning Rep. Bob Ney, who was forced to withdraw under a cloud of allegations related to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's clients.
She will face Democratic nominee Zack Space, an elected municipal attorney. John McCarthy of the Associated Press reports:
Padgett, who will face Democrat Zack Space on Nov. 7, said she isn't concerned that she could be tied to Ney and would have to work to separate herself from him.
"I don't think I have to do that at all. There was an attempt in 2004 to try to Velcro me to (Gov.) Bob Taft, and that didn't work," she said.According to final, unofficial results, Padgett had 9,451 votes or 66 percent of the vote. Financial adviser James Brodbent Harris, who lost to Ney in the May 2 primary, was closest among four other candidates with 2,102 votes, or 15 percent.
Read it all at the link above.
It was Ney who made this district a competitive one, after being easily reelected for years, through his dealings with Abramoff. Most analysts rate it a "toss-up," but with a named Republican candidate untouched by scandal, Padgett's chances of holding the seat should not be underestimated in this very conservative district.
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Congressional Races, Ohio, Primaries, Republican
