OH-Sen: Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld likely running

[badgate]

Sittenfeld began accepting donations for a Senate bid today. Once he's raised $5,000, he has 15 days before he has to file his candidacy.

Per Cincinnati Enquirer

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[Mr. Reactionary]

I think we should wait to see if Ed Fitzgerald is planning on running. It fits with the practice of running losers from past elections. Feingold Hagan Sestak Begich Romanoff. Why not Fitzgerald? He did great this past year, he even managed to win 2 counties against Kasich.

[Vosem]

I think we should wait to see if Ed Fitzgerald is planning on running. It fits with the practice of running losers from past elections. Feingold Hagan Sestak Begich Romanoff. Why not Fitzgerald? He did great this past year, he even managed to win 2 counties against Kasich.

Because he performed significantly below the floor of a Democrat running statewide in Ohio. In fact, he performed below the foundation.

Sittenfeld began accepting donations for a Senate bid today. Once he's raised $5,000, he has 15 days before he has to file his candidacy.

And everyone in Cuyahoga County asks...who?

[LeBron]

I love the thought of a Senator Sittenfeld! He would be a thousand times better at representing us than Portman is.

Even though he is from the Southern part of the state, he is definitely popular among the liberal base in Ohio. I've heard a few of his radio broadcasts before, Talk of Ohio, and he's passionately expressed his discontent with the current gubernatorial administration in Ohio. He's won the support of police and firefighters for making known how those cuts to local governments hurt public services and schools (and in-turn results in higher local tax levies) and for the Governor's favoring of the rich and attacks on voters and reproductive rights.

He's brought on guests to talk about issues like those and he's not afraid to state where he stands. He's voiced his support for the Affordable Care Act, voiced his opposition to income inequality - nearly a quarter of all income goes to the top 1% - so he is an economic progressive, wants a raise in the living wage, has fought for college students in combating student loan debts in the City Council and a lot more. He supports protecting union rights - right to collectively bargain contracts, safer work environments and fair wages, and no "right-to-work." He's participated in rallies, public speeches and broadcasts before supporting LGBT equality and equal opportunities for women, closing the gender gap. Just from all this you can tell he is a strong Democrat.

He does have bipartisan accomplishments to tout as well. On the Council he sponsored a proposal (that was passed) that offered more to residents by turning public schools at night into community centers for recreation and learning, he's gone green for the city of Cincinnati, and he's cracking down on banks over foreclosures.

He's very in-touch with the social media world, is completely transparent, is very good at fundraising having raised nearly $300K in 2013, and his top of the race performance in 2013 is a perfect example that the people like him. His public speaking ability is awesome, and his ads he's aired in his past races are even better.

He would likely gain the support of the party if he does run. He's been very good friends with Pepper for years, the ODP Chair who Sittenfeld helped stump for, for attorney general last year. Sittenfeld sits on the state executive committee to, which unanimously elected David Pepper the chair last month. Aside from all the traveling he's done across the state, that's one of the main ways he's built these really great relationships with party leaders is through Pepper.

Sittenfeld would be a really strong candidate for statewide office in 2018. It might be too early for a run right now, but he has the ability to run a phenomenal campaign nonetheless whatever it is he runs for. I'll definitely support him and campaign for him if he runs, but I'm on the edge about his chances in a statewide race against someone with all the money in the world.

[Vega]

It's pretty sad that he's the best they have for 2016.

[Brittain33]

It's pretty sad that he's the best they have for 2016.

No kidding. A city councilman? I guess Portman is invulnerable.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I think we should wait to see if Ed Fitzgerald is planning on running. It fits with the practice of running losers from past elections. Feingold Hagan Sestak Begich Romanoff. Why not Fitzgerald? He did great this past year, he even managed to win 2 counties against Kasich.


Sestak and Duckworth and Lynch and Feingold have a good chance. The GOP ran loser candidates George Allen and Tommy Thompson, we have a better chance with Murphy in FLa, though.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Yeah, this isn't going anywhere.  Don't read to much into it either.  He'll drop out (or be forced out) if Strickland or Ryan run (or stomped in the primary after not even being acknowledged by Strickland/Ryan's campaign, but I doubt he'll want to burn all his bridges just to get like 8% or less in a primary).

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

If he wants to win, He should run for Governor in 2018, when it's an open seat. He'd never beat Portman.

[henster]

No I can't see Ohio going for a freaking council member against Portman. Hell, they could probably find a better candidate in the legislature, why hasn't Cordray's name been mentioned?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

No I can't see Ohio going for a freaking council member against Portman. Hell, they could probably find a better candidate in the legislature, why hasn't Cordray's name been mentioned?

He wants to be Governor

[IceSpear]

I love the thought of a Senator Sittenfeld! He would be a thousand times better at representing us than Portman is.

Even though he is from the Southern part of the state, he is definitely popular among the liberal base in Ohio. I've heard a few of his radio broadcasts before, Talk of Ohio, and he's passionately expressed his discontent with the current gubernatorial administration in Ohio. He's won the support of police and firefighters for making known how those cuts to local governments hurt public services and schools (and in-turn results in higher local tax levies) and for the Governor's favoring of the rich and attacks on voters and reproductive rights.

He's brought on guests to talk about issues like those and he's not afraid to state where he stands. He's voiced his support for the Affordable Care Act, voiced his opposition to income inequality - nearly a quarter of all income goes to the top 1% - so he is an economic progressive, wants a raise in the living wage, has fought for college students in combating student loan debts in the City Council and a lot more. He supports protecting union rights - right to collectively bargain contracts, safer work environments and fair wages, and no "right-to-work." He's participated in rallies, public speeches and broadcasts before supporting LGBT equality and equal opportunities for women, closing the gender gap. Just from all this you can tell he is a strong Democrat.

He does have bipartisan accomplishments to tout as well. On the Council he sponsored a proposal (that was passed) that offered more to residents by turning public schools at night into community centers for recreation and learning, he's gone green for the city of Cincinnati, and he's cracking down on banks over foreclosures.

He's very in-touch with the social media world, is completely transparent, is very good at fundraising having raised nearly $300K in 2013, and his top of the race performance in 2013 is a perfect example that the people like him. His public speaking ability is awesome, and his ads he's aired in his past races are even better.

He would likely gain the support of the party if he does run. He's been very good friends with Pepper for years, the ODP Chair who Sittenfeld helped stump for, for attorney general last year. Sittenfeld sits on the state executive committee to, which unanimously elected David Pepper the chair last month. Aside from all the traveling he's done across the state, that's one of the main ways he's built these really great relationships with party leaders is through Pepper.

Sittenfeld would be a really strong candidate for statewide office in 2018. It might be too early for a run right now, but he has the ability to run a phenomenal campaign nonetheless whatever it is he runs for. I'll definitely support him and campaign for him if he runs, but I'm on the edge about his chances in a statewide race against someone with all the money in the world.

Adam LeBron Sittenfeld?

[Vega]

It's pretty sad that he's the best they have for 2016.

No kidding. A city councilman? I guess Portman is invulnerable.

In a smaller state a councilman might be able to run for Governor... but this is just another depressing sign that the Ohio Democratic Party has given up.

[RogueBeaver]

NJ quotes some senior Dem strategists calling Sittenfeld their most promising prodigy since Brown.

[Vega]

NJ quotes some senior Dem strategists calling Sittenfeld their most promising prodigy since Brown.

I thought their "most promising prodigy" was FitzGerald... and we see how that turned out.

[tmthforu94]

I love the thought of a Senator Sittenfeld! He would be a thousand times better at representing us than Portman is.

Tells me all I need to know! The great Portman will make Sittenfeld slither away.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

NJ quotes some senior Dem strategists calling Sittenfeld their most promising prodigy since Brown.

I thought their "most promising prodigy" was FitzGerald... and we see how that turned out.

According to Lebron and literally no one else.  I doubt even FitzGerald would vote for FitzGerald.

[LeBron]

NJ quotes some senior Dem strategists calling Sittenfeld their most promising prodigy since Brown.

I thought their "most promising prodigy" was FitzGerald... and we see how that turned out.

According to Lebron and literally no one else.  I doubt even FitzGerald would vote for FitzGerald.

He was a good rising star, at the time. Even you have to admit, we can't be like the Wisconsin Democratic Party and expect the same two people (Strickland and Ryan) to run for everything. Redfern made a huge mistake by not looking into FitzGerald more, but one bad apple shouldn't mean Sittenfeld doesn't deserve a chance at running here. We need to start looking towards our party's future.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

NJ quotes some senior Dem strategists calling Sittenfeld their most promising prodigy since Brown.

I thought their "most promising prodigy" was FitzGerald... and we see how that turned out.

According to Lebron and literally no one else.  I doubt even FitzGerald would vote for FitzGerald.

He was a good rising star, at the time. Even you have to admit, we can't be like the Wisconsin Democratic Party and expect the same two people (Strickland and Ryan) to run for everything. Redfern made a huge mistake by not looking into FitzGerald more, but one bad apple shouldn't mean Sittenfeld doesn't deserve a chance at running here. We need to start looking towards our party's future.

Connie Pillich, P.G. Sittenfield, Tim Ryan, Zach Klein, Lou Gentile, Mike Stinziano, and John Patrick Carney are all rising stars.  Leland, Budish, Brown, Strickland, and Cordrey are all well-established candidates with statewide potential (well, Brown is already Senator, but you get the idea).  Cranley, Whaley, and Ginther (down the road) each also have statewide potential.  FitzGerald was never considered an up-and-comer, nor did anyone ever really like him.  He just got to be the sacrificial lamb once it became clear Kasich was gonna win.

[free my dawg]

Can't we all just sit around and agree that Ed FitzGerald would be a phenomenal Ambassador to Ireland?

[Vega]

Can't we all just sit around and agree that Ed FitzGerald would be a phenomenal Ambassador to Ireland?

Obama should have tried to ram through his nomination during the lame duck session.

[NewYorkExpress]

This might sound crazy, but LeBron James just turned 30 this year... any chance we Democrats could talk him into retiring and running against Portman. Would he (LeBron) even be electable statewide?

[LeBron]

NJ quotes some senior Dem strategists calling Sittenfeld their most promising prodigy since Brown.

I thought their "most promising prodigy" was FitzGerald... and we see how that turned out.

According to Lebron and literally no one else.  I doubt even FitzGerald would vote for FitzGerald.

He was a good rising star, at the time. Even you have to admit, we can't be like the Wisconsin Democratic Party and expect the same two people (Strickland and Ryan) to run for everything. Redfern made a huge mistake by not looking into FitzGerald more, but one bad apple shouldn't mean Sittenfeld doesn't deserve a chance at running here. We need to start looking towards our party's future.

Connie Pillich, P.G. Sittenfield, Tim Ryan, Zach Klein, Lou Gentile, Mike Stinziano, and John Patrick Carney are all rising stars.  Leland, Budish, Brown, Strickland, and Cordrey are all well-established candidates with statewide potential (well, Brown is already Senator, but you get the idea).  Cranley, Whaley, and Ginther (down the road) each also have statewide potential.  FitzGerald was never considered an up-and-comer, nor did anyone ever really like him.  He just got to be the sacrificial lamb once it became clear Kasich was gonna win.

All of them are rising stars, yes. You can even throw DeGeeter, Kamrass, Clyde, Turner, Schiavoni, Boccieri, Phillips, or Ramos in the rising star category.

Ed FitzGerald we'll have to agree to disagree on. He made a big name for himself as Mayor of Lakewood, he survived a crowded Democratic primary for CC Exec. and he did what he said he would do - clean up corruption in the former county government, balancing the county deficit, getting some new and needed county charter amendments passed and approved, establish new initiatives like his college-savings program, and he gained statewide acclamation by the party after he stood up to Husted in 2012 on voting rights. He wasn't well-liked by the County Council President, and he certainly made some enemies along the way, but he also had a lot of close friends and party leaders urging him to run for governor after others opted out.

But like I said, Ed's the past. He's in the private sector and is done with politics. He appeared publicly for possibly the last time after showing up to show his support on Sunday for the new incumbent Cuyahoga County Executive, Armond Budish. Ed's done with, and eventually Strickland will be to.

We got to make room for the Sittenfeld's and Gentile's and DeGeeter's to take shape. Give Sittenfeld a chance to prove his ability to run a statewide campaign, Gentile would be worthwhile to run against Johnson in the coming years, and DeGeeter can probably replace Skindell when he retires. And so on.

[Vega]

Fitzy made a huge mistake in running for Governor. I would have just been content to stay County Exec.

[RogueBeaver]

Starting off your career with a thumpin' doesn't sound great to me, but to each their own.