‘Ghost of Bob Ney’ ‘ and Democrats in person ‘ haunt Padgett in Ohio-18

BELLAIRE, Ohio – The race to replace disgraced Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) has been an arduous uphill sprint for Ohio state Sen. Joy Padgett, whom Republicans chose as their candidate less than a month-and-a-half ago. Ever since Padgett’s name was first mentioned as a contender, she has been the target of withering political ads and attacks.

“Time is the challenge,” said Padgett while visiting a disabled veterans home outside of Ohio’s 18th District over the weekend. “Voters are disgusted and are being put off by the negative advertising by the independent groups.”

Ney announced that he would retire in August and just a week-and-a-half ago pleaded guilty to bribery charges stemming from the corruption case against Jack Abramoff. And Ney’s endorsement of Padgett’s candidacy didn’t help.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has been slamming her with negative ads since her special election win on Sept. 14, to the tune of $1.3 million, according to the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.

Both parties and outside groups have spent a total of $3.7 million on the race between Padgett and Democrat Zack Space alone, nearly 15 percent of the approximately $25 million outside groups have spent on political ads in Ohio this cycle, according to the FEC.

Multiple ads have linked Padgett to Ney and other unpopular Ohio Republicans, and recently ads have homed in on her default on a $737,000 government loan and bankruptcy filing earlier this year.

“I think the ghost of Bob Ney will haunt her,” said Dave Cohen, an associate professor of political science at the University of Akron and a fellow at the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. “While the focus has gone slightly away from Ney, the Democrats have been able to spin her bankruptcies as more of the same culture of corruption.”

“Until Ney resigns, it will be impossible for Republicans to argue that the campaign for that seat is about anything but corruption,” he added.

Ney said at an Oct. 13 hearing where he pleaded guilty to corruption charges that he would resign from Congress in the coming weeks.

While Padgett has criticized her opponent for refusing to debate her publicly and has encouraged him to attend community events, Space has been leading in the polls, and according to Cohen, has no real reason to debate Padgett.

“This race is his to lose,” Cohen said.

A September Reuters/Zogby International poll shows Space ahead 45 percent to 36 percent over Padgett, despite the conservative makeup of the district. 

“It’s more of an incumbent-insider strategy,” he said. “Debates are dangerous. One mistake and the person [who has been down in the polls] has a chance to get back into the race.”

Space campaign officials argue that they have attended several community forums with Padgett.

But the pace and the tenor of his campaign is noticeably different than Padgett’s.

At an Oct. 21 press conference about energy independence with Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Space scarcely mentioned his opponent and after 10 minutes of talking briefly about the benefits of ethanol and posing for pictures with supporters, he walked briskly to his car to attend a private fundraiser.

In contrast, Padgett’s affiliations and financial troubles have caused her to immediately default to a defensive posture.

At a crowded forum at the Lake Mohawk Property Owners Association “Meet the Candidate” night in Malvern, the second question asked was about her bankruptcy.

Her answer made it clear that she took the criticism particularly personally.

“The bankruptcy did take place …  it was a 30-year business,” she said with a deep breath. “When you have a business for 30 years it’s like experiencing a death [to have to close it].”

She attributed the “death” to the state of Ohio’s economy and the strain taxes place on small businesses, a burden she hopes to ease if elected to Congress.

“I still believe in small business,” she told voters.

Republicans are well aware of the difficult challenge Padgett faces, considering the poisonous political atmosphere in the district the wake of Ney’s corruption charges and guilty plea. Padgett’s bankruptcy, however, has prevented her from being able to overcome that specter of GOP scandal.

A GOP strategist speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the bankruptcy issue has inflicted considerable damage and emphasized that Republican turnout will be critical to a Padgett victory.

At the forum last weekend, as the questions turned to the negative ads, Padgett’s demeanor transitioned from apologetic to confident.

“These negative ads are undermining the American public,” she said. “Voters are starting to tell me that [politicians] are all alike and they are going to stay away from the polls.”

She stressed that many of the ads are from outside groups, not the candidates themselves, and encouraged voters to visit candidate websites to get a clearer idea of where she and Space stand on the issues.

Some voters were not initially convinced.

“[Her ads] are some of the worst,” said Paul Sack, a registered independent. “Ney is really going to hurt her.”

“The ads are really confusing people,” said Norm Mankins, a registered Republican.

“It makes me want neither of them,” agreed fellow Republican resident Judy Palleschi, adding that she intended to go to the polls Nov. 7. 

However, she added that at least in her view, Padgett’s presence at the forum gave her an advantage over Space.

“She was here to get her point across, ” Palleschi said.