http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/us/fumbled-bid-for-governor-imperils-ohio-democrats.htmlDAYTON, Ohio — With a wounded candidate at the top of their ticket, Democrats in Ohio have been forced to adopt a Plan B as they seek to avoid a disastrous shutout in elections for governor and other statewide offices.
“Voting from the bottom to the top: That is the way we need to roll this year,” said Nina Turner, a candidate for secretary of state.
Translation: Ignore the contest for governor and concentrate on the down-ballot races for the five other statewide offices, where Democrats are challenging Republican incumbents.
Ms. Turner, a fiery state senator from Cleveland cited as a name to watch by MSNBC, was rallying party loyalists at Blind Bob’s, a bar in downtown Dayton. It was the kickoff of a tour by Democratic candidates across the length and breadth of Ohio, whose much bled-over terrain in presidential races is belied by solid Republican control of state government.
A Democratic supporter in Dayton backed candidates up and down the ticket. Democrats had hoped the governor’s race would energize the party.
Democrats here and nationally had high hopes of ousting Gov. John Kasich, whose job approval was below 50 percent among voters in Quinnipiac University polls taken early this year. But that was before the challenger, Ed FitzGerald, suffered self-inflicted wounds and his campaign all but imploded. With donors fleeing, top aides to Mr. FitzGerald quit last month as it became clear there was not enough money for a hard-fought race.
Now, Ohio Democrats are worried about the fallout if their supporters, disillusioned by the FitzGerald troubles, sit on their hands in November. Democrats had hoped a rousing fight in 2014 would energize the party’s grass roots and carry into the presidential contest in 2016 — an answer to the Republicans’ choice of Cleveland as the site of their national convention.
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