November 2008 Elections Stories

Hamilton County Commission Deal
The chairs of the Republican and Democratic Parties George Vincent and Tim Burke arranged a deal whereby Democrat Todd Portune and Republican Greg Hartmann would each run unopposed by officially backed candidates in the November 2008 Elections. Portune ran to keep his seat against Republican Ed Rothenberg who did not receive Republican backing. Chris Dole ran without party backing against Hartmann to fill the seat vacated by Pat DeWine.

Proportional Representation
Endorsing: Charter Committee, Business Courier, Chris Smitherman, Jim Tarbell, Roxanne Qualls Opposing: Jeff Berding, Chris Bortz, Hamilton County GOP,

Berding filed a complaint with the Ohio Election commission claiming that Better Ballot Cincinnati had published misleading information about the PR plan.

Most City Council incumbents oppose the measure. It is theorized that this may be due in part to the fact that PR may make it harder for them to maintain their seats.

Endorsing

 * Former Mayor Bobbie Sterne
 * Former Vice Mayor Marian Spencer
 * Representative Tyrone K. Yates
 * Michael E. Maloney
 * Jim Tarbell
 * Karla Irvine
 * Bill Woods
 * Tim Kraus
 * Jim Clingman
 * Christopher Smitherman
 * Former Governor John Gilligan
 * Harris Weston
 * Charter Committee
 * Ohio Common Cause
 * Business Courier
 * Ohio Citizen Action
 * Ohio PIRG
 * Cincinnati Progressive Action
 * Cincinnati Beacon
 * Cincinnati NAACP
 * FairVote Cincinnati
 * We Demand A Vote
 * Southwest Ohio Green Party
 * Natural Awakenings Magazine
 * Libertarian Party of Ohio
 * COAST
 * Baptist Ministers Conference
 * Interdenominational Ministers Alliance
 * Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless
 * Representative Tom Brinkman
 * Jerry Galvin
 * Jeneene Brengelman
 * John R. Sherman, Jr
 * Charles M. Judd
 * Bishop Dwight Wilkins
 * Father Ben Urmston
 * Joe Dehner
 * Bill Collins
 * Dan Zavon
 * Damon Lynch III
 * Iris Roley
 * Michelle Edwards
 * Al Williams
 * Art Slater
 * Elizabeth Sanford
 * Michael Patton
 * Lisa McQueen
 * Gwen Marshall

Opposing

 * Mayor Mark Mallory
 * Vice Mayor David Crowley
 * President Pro-Tem Y. Laketa Cole
 * Council Member Jeff Berding
 * Council Member Chris Bortz
 * Council Member John Cranley
 * Council Member Leslie Ghiz
 * Council Member Chris Monzel
 * Council Member Cecil Thomas
 * former Mayor Dwight Tillery
 * former Mayor Charlie Luken
 * former Council Member Minette Cooper
 * Cincinnati Democratic Committee
 * Hamilton County Republican Party
 * Cincinnati Firefighters Local 48
 * Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
 * Cincinnatus Association
 * Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1900
 * Partnership of Westside Residents (POWR) PAC
 * Cincinnati Construction & Building Trades Council, Business Agents
 * AFSCME Council 8
 * Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors
 * Homebuilders Association PAC

Deters
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/20/daily11.html

PR

 * http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php/magaddiction/comments/proportional_representation_and_racist_republican_history/
 * http://cincinnati.blogspot.com/2008/10/quick-hits.html
 * http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php/magaddiction/comments/proportional_representation_christopher_smitherman_v_jeff_berding/
 * http://www.betterballotcincinnati.com/endorsements.php
 * http://cincypeptalk.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-is-proportional-representation.html
 * http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php/magaddiction/comments/chris_bortz_on_pr_and_issue_8/
 * http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-142-city-council-others-sound-off-about-issue-8.html
 * http://www.cetconnect.org/current_affairs/index.asp
 * http://www.fairvote.org/?page=200&articlemode=showspecific&showarticle=3340
 * http://www.betterballotcincinnati.com/endorsements.php
 * http://www.protectallyourvotes.com/who-is-voting-no.asp