Campaign Watch Update: Strickland-Portman debate in Cleveland tonight; Candidate forum in Glenville

Third And Final Portman-Strickland Debate for Ohio U.S. Senate tonight

Debate to be broadcast on radio and television throughout the state

The third and final debate between U.S. Senate candidates Rob Portman and Ted Strickland takes place at 7pm tonight at the Idea Center at Playhouse Square. The debate is sponsored by The City Club of Cleveland.

Media partners are WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream in Cleveland, WEWS in Cleveland and WCPO in Cincinnati. Moderators are Karen Kasler of the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau and Danita Harris of WEWS. The debate will originate from ideastream studios at the Idea Center and be broadcast by television and radio stations across Ohio. Tickets to the event sold out within hours of its announcement. 

The debate will air live, without commercials, from 7 to 8 p.m. on these television and radio stations across Ohio:

         WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream (Cleveland) – Live stream at ideastream.org

         WEWS (Cleveland) – Live stream at newsnet5.com/video/live-video

         WYTV (Youngstown)

         WNEO Fusion Channel (Alliance/Youngstown)

         89.7 WKSU (Kent)                                                                      

         C-SPAN (National) – Live stream at c-span.org

In addition, the Ohio Channel will air the debate on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 10 p.m.

The audience will be made up of community members and supporters of both candidates. Some audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions. The candidates squared off in two earlier debates: Oct. 14 in Youngstown and Oct. 17 in Columbus.

The Cleveland debate is the only one carried live across multiple platforms throughout Ohio between these candidates.

“This is one of the races the entire nation is watching, and we feel privileged that the citizens of Ohio, the campaigns and our partners are entrusting us with this important responsibility,” said City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop. “We’re looking forward to an engaging and fair debate.”

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Local Candidates forum in Glenville tonight

County Councilwoman Yvonne M. Conwell and Cleveland Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell are co-hosting a Candidates Forum tonight at True Vine Baptist Church, 711 East 105 Street. The public is invited.

The following candidates have confirmed their attendance:

Judge Steve Gall, Common Pleas Court; Judge Diane Palos and Judge Francine Goldberg of the Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division; Kelly Ann Gallagher, Sherrie Miday, and Andrea Nelson Moore, each of whom is seeking election to Common Pleas Court; County Councilman Anthony Hairston; and Meryl Johnson, candidate for the State Board of Education.

Other candidates may appear as well.

Cordray likely out of 2014 Governor’s race as focus intensifies on and for FitzGerald, Sutton

Cordray likely out of 2014 Governor’s race as focus intensifies on and for FitzGerald, Sutton

Another piece of the puzzle to who will be the Democratic Party nominee to take on Gov. Kasich in next year’s gubernatorial race will seemingly be locked into place with President Obama’s renomination today of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The president had made Cordray a recess appointment last year after Senate Republicans blocked his initial nomination in 2011.

Since GOP opposition to Cordray remains, nominating him again would serve little purpose if Cordray was going to leave the position early and return to Ohio for a statewide race. His recess appointment is good through December 2013.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/will-richard-cordray-stay-at-consumer-bureau/2012/11/19/07a173d6-328d-11e2-bfd5-e202b6d7b501_blog.html

With the announcement earlier last month by former Gov. Strickland that he would not seek a rematch of his 2010 campaign against Kasich, speculation will now center on Cuyahoga County executive Ed FitzGerald and former US Congresswoman Betty Sutton. FitzGerald must decide whether to forsake his virtually certain reelection as county executive next year or to stay put for another four years.

Sutton may have an easier decision since she lost her re-election bid to US Rep. Jim Renacci in the aftermath of Congressional redistricting in 2011 when Ohio lost two seats in Congress when the 2010 Census confirmed the state’s slow rate of population growth.

Youngstown area Congressman Tim Ryan has also been mentioned as a potential candidate, but insiders seem to think it increasingly unlikely he will run.

This likely means the ball is in Sutton’s court: if she wants it, FitzGerald would probably not challenge her, to the dismay of several county politicians who would love to succeed him.