Today, state Rep. Jennifer Garrison of Marietta announced that she will be challenging Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown to be the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 2010. What’s more, the entrance started on a nasty note, according to The Columbus Dispatch, with Garrison accusing Brown of violating campaign finance laws and Brown shooting back that there had been no violation.
Ohio voters casting early votes in 2008. (Image from the Plain Dealer.)
In any event, this is a particularly interesting development that may show some cracks in the Democratic coalition in Ohio. Garrison had — oh so briefly — been floated by some as a possible replacement for Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, who is running for U.S. Senate against current Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. From the Cincinnati City Beat on May 14 of this year:
[Gov. Ted] Strickland appeared at an LGBT-themed fundraiser Saturday afternoon at an East Walnut Hills residence. During a question-and-answer session with attendees, the governor flatly dismissed reports that he was considering Garrison for lieutenant governor in his next race and assured them that wouldn’t happen, said several sources at the event.
The reason why the LGBT community cared to make sure the Garrison trial balloon was popped? Well, Garrison has the ignominy of being the Democrat to defeat the one Republican House member to vote against Ohio’s Defense of Marriage Act in 2004, former Lt. Gov. (and, briefly, Gov.) Nancy Hollister — by running to Hollister’s right. The Gay People’s Chronicle describes what was, for me and many LGBT Ohioans, a low point for the Ohio Democratic Party when the House Democratic Caucus sent out a mailer that read:
“If you believe marriage is between one man and one woman, there’s something you should know about Nancy Hollister.”
On the other side, the card said, “DOMA was enacted precisely to protect Ohioans from having to accept ‘marriages’ or ‘unions’ entered into in other states. Despite the value of DOMA, Nancy Hollister voted against it. Jennifer Garrison believes marriage is between one man and one woman and will fight to protect our values.”
Now, in recent months, as Ohio’s House considers the Equal Housing and Employment Act, there have been rumors — which the Gay People’s Chronicle printed with vague, anonymous sourcing that has been discounted since by other on-the-record sources — that Garrison was attempting to hold up the bill. So far as I have heard and can confirm, there is no truth to this rumor. But, at the same time, it goes to show the skepticism with which many Democrats still view Garrison.
Ohio is not a liberal state, by any means, but I’m still not sure that Garrison can win a statewide Democratic primary in 2010. If anything, Garrison’s announcement may have been the best way either to drive up interest in Brown — or to lead some other Democrats to consider jumping in the race.
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Chris Geidner is a lawyer in Washington, D.C., who writes at Law Dork, contributes regularly to Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications. An extended biography can be found