Normally, sketchy business and blatant political opportunism by current Ohio Treasurer Republican Josh Mandel would be enough by themselves to null any inclination CityBeat might have for endorsing him. There’s the whole weird business with Mandel intervening in a regulatory case between the state of California and Ohio businessman Benjamin Suarez, only to get $100,000 in campaign contributions from Suarez and his employees soon after. Then there’s his apparent belief that the office of treasurer is simply a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Elected in 2010, Mandel quickly launched an absurd Senate campaign against Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2012, running all sorts of misleading political ads and generally making a fool of himself.
Luckily, we can whole-heartedly endorse his opponent, Democrat Connie Pillich, on her own merits, not Mandel’s deficits. Pillich is a former Air Force Captain who holds an MBA and a law degree and ran her own law practice. She has served six years in the Ohio state House representing northern Hamilton County. She has hung on to her seat through tea party challenges and redistricting, proving she can hang tough in the political world while keeping her integrity. No question Connie Pillich is our choice for state treasurer.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2014.