It’s kind of fitting that election day comes right after Halloween. All that spooky stuff gets you conditioned for a really frightening realization —the choices put before us in the ballot box are more often than not rather abysmal.
This year’s election season is grimmer than most. The 2012 election saw all the hubbub of a presidential race with Ohio and Hamilton County playing a key role in deciding to reelect President Barack Obama. Combine that with a heated Senate race between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Josh Mandel and you had a recipe for some excitement. Last year saw its own fireworks in local elections as the city tried to pick the right mayor and new City Council members.
This year, however, things are quieter on the local front. Even where passions run high, as in the case of the county’s contentious icon tax debate, we’re left with a befuddling mix of lackluster candidates.
Statewide, progressive candidates are challenging high-ranking conservative Republicans in several races. While Democrats have fielded challengers to GOP incumbents in every major office, many have been disappointing on the campaign trail and present no real challenge to incumbents who might otherwise be vulnerable.
But all is not lost. There are some bright spots on this year’s ballot and the potential to change the way Ohio is governed at the highest levels. Read this year’s endorsements on our election page.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2014.
