A Weblog by The Plain Dealer Politics Staff
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Static for DeWine
Things have still gotten a bit bumpy for Republican Sen. Mike DeWine across pockets of rural Ohio as he campaigns for reelection.
Two county GOP organizations have voted not to formally endorse the senator, and another has agreed his unknown opponent is equally qualified for the job.
Bill Pierce, a conservative math teacher and engineer who hopes to rise from political obscurity, tied with DeWine in Preble County last Thursday, which means the county executive committee there has officially chosen not to support the sitting senator. Preble County is on the Indiana line west of Dayton and might best be described as solid Midwestern farm country.
Earlier, Pierce picked up the county endorsement in Knox County, and he was rated ''highly qualified" by the Clermont County GOP. In Clermont, Pierce actually received more votes than DeWine and fell just a few short of the number needed for a full endorsement.
''I never thought I would get support and help within the party structure,'' says Pierce, admitting he's slightly amazed that he's been able to ding DeWine.
''So far, I've gone head-to-head with him four times and come out on top twice, tied once and lost in Miami County."
--Bill Sloat