As long-time Hamilton County Commission member Todd Portune retires at the end of the year, expect a battle to replace him.
Former State Rep. Connie Pillich has announced she is wading into the race. The Air Force veteran has about $540,000 from a gubernatorial primary bid that election laws allow her to use in the commission race, as well as a track record of winning election three times in the county’s 28th State House District — a very competitive district.
But her primary opponent, fellow former State Rep. Alicia Reece, is also formidable. Reece, who announced her run last month, is well-established among the county’s Democratic Party. She grabbed an endorsement from Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, who spoke glowingly of their time together on Cincinnati City Council and Reece’s work in the State House. Reece has also recently received endorsements from Greater Cincinnati NAACP Vice President Joe Mallory and influential faith leaders Rev. Damon Lynch III and Rev. KZ Smith.
While some have cast the race as city-connected Reece versus county-friendly Pillich, Reece has objected to that narrative, pointing out she served swaths of Hamilton County outside the city limits during her time in the State House. Pillich, meanwhile, has touted herself as an “outsider” to the county Democratic Party’s internal politics, though she did briefly co-chair the party before stepping away last year for a job with the National Association of Women Judges, based in Washington, D.C.
A big edge in the March 17 primary would likely go to whichever of the candidates gets the nod to fill Portune’s seat when he steps down in December to focus on a battle with cancer — if either of them do. The Hamilton County Democratic Party has the ultimate say in that decision and could choose someone else. Portune’s input will very likely carry big weight, however, and his top choice for the appointment is out. Portune had favored former State Sen. Eric Kearney for the position, but Kearney announced he wouldn’t seek the seat earlier this month.
The winner of the Reece/Pillich matchup will go on to face Republican Andy Black, a former Mariemont City Council member.
One of the key issues candidates will battle over after the primaries will likely be a .25 percent sales tax the commission approved last month.That tax replaced the so-called “icon tax” passed in 2014 to renovate Union Terminal and as such didn’t raise the county’s sales tax rate. The county’s administration said the tax was needed to close a $20 million deficit in this year’s budget — a gap that looks to grow over the coming years as costs rise and state contributions via its local government fund continue to lag.
Republicans, led by Black, tried to mount a ballot initiative to repeal that tax, but fell short of the number of signatures needed to do so.
During a news conference announcing Cranley’s endorsement of Reece, she hedged on full-throated support for the sales tax, saying she would need to see the county’s budget documents to determine whether the tax was necessary. Pillich, meanwhile, has said she considers the tax a done deal and wants to make sure the money is spent efficiently and effectively.
It’s not the only race for a commission seat in 2020 — Democrat Denise Driehaus is also up for reelection to a second term. So far, Republicans haven’t named a challenger for Driehaus’ seat, but any candidates have until Dec. 18 to file for the primary.
Should both Driehaus and the nominated Democrat win election in November, Democrats would continue their sweep of the three member board. And, for the first time in history, it would be occupied entirely by women. That last outcome could happen even if Driehaus loses, as the Hamilton County Republican Party has hinted that it is recruiting a female candidate to run against her.
This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2019.
