Steve Israel Is Trying To Saddle Us With Jennifer Garrison, Ohio's Sarah Palin

Jennifer Garrison-- Steve Israel's kind of Democrat

Early in June we warned that DCCC Chair Steve Israel-- be sure to watch Bravo's Princesses: Long Island which is about his district to understand Israel's mentality-- was trying to recruit Ohio's Sarah Palin, Jennifer Garrison, to run against Bill Johnson. Johnson won his seat in 2010-- part of the Great Blue Dog Apocalypse-- because Democrats refused to turn out for conservative Blue Dog Charlie Wilson. Despite $2,086,390 from the DCCC and $397,242 from their House Majority PAC, Wilson lost again in a rematch last year, 53-47%. The district has 18 counties and Johnson won 14 of them, including biggies Mahong, Columbiana, Washington, and Lawrence and effectively tying in Jefferson, a must-win for Democrats.

Aside from having a Democratic voter registration, there is nothing about Jennifer Garrison that is remotely Democratic. She's actually worse than a mainstream Republican. Perfect for Steve Israel! The Plain Dealer scoped out the situation... more politely than I would. They do start, though, but acknowledging that Democrats drove Garrison out of her last statewide race because she is seen as way too conservative for Ohio Democrats. Last week she announced she's running against Johnson.

"Both political parties have not focused enough on jobs, job security, and the kitchen-table issues that our neighbors and families face everyday," Garrison said in a statement first reported by the Youngstown Vindicator, which covers the northern portion of the district. "Whether it's been improving education funding for rural Ohio, keeping utility rates low for consumers and manufacturers, or demanding transparency from the legislature, I have a track record of getting results and look forward to this campaign."

The district is one of the state's most competitive-- and one that until recently was reliably Democratic. Johnson unseated the late Charlie Wilson by 5 percentage points in 2010. Wilson lost a rematch last year by a slightly larger margin.

And though Garrison boasts support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, she could draw a formidable primary challenger. State Sen. Lou Gentile, who represents 10 of the 18 counties in the 6th District, is exploring a run.

"I'm still sort of recovering from the budget," Gentile told the Plain Dealer this morning. "I'm talking to the people in my district about whether I should run."

Gentile, from Steubenville, outperformed President Barack Obama in parts of his district last fall. A former state representative, he worked as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland in Congress and was a driver and top assistant-- or "body man"-- during Strickland's successful run for governor in 2006. Gentile later went to work for the Strickland administration as assistant director in the Office of Appalachia.

Garrison also has ties to Strickland. He encouraged her to run for Ohio secretary of state in 2010. But her right-of-center views on core Democratic issues-- including abortion and guns -- upset the party's base, and Garrison withdrew from the race. (The candidate ultimately fielded by Democrats was routed by Jon Husted.)

Given the increasingly Republican lean of eastern and southeastern Ohio, Garrison's conservative history might play better in a congressional race there. Gentile, though, has appeared more recently on a local ballot. He also could appeal more to state party activists enraged over recent GOP restrictions on abortion.

While he described himself as a defender of the Second Amendment, Gentle also said he supports abortion rights in most cases. He voted in favor of a ban on late-term abortions while a member of the Ohio House. But, much like Garrison focused on economics in her announcement, Gentile said he doesn't emphasize social issues.

David Skolnick, writing in The Vindicator also acknowledges that "national Democratic leaders" recruited Garrison-- despite her hateful and bigoted Republican record. And he also acknowledges that Gentile is likely to run. I called his office and was told he's "still making up his mind (wink, wink)."

“I’m interested in talking to the constituents in my district and getting a good read on whether I should run,” he said. “My decision will be largely made by those in [elected] leadership roles and my constituents in the district.”

Gentile’s district includes 10 counties in the 6th. Gentile was the Republican’s No. 1 target last year in the state Senate. Republicans gave nearly $1 million to the campaign of his opponent. Gentile won the race in the Republican-leaning district by about 5 percentage points.

Whoever emerges as the Democratic primary winner would face two-term U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a Republican from Marietta, in the general election. The district is a Republican area. In 2012, Johnson beat Democrat Charlie Wilson, who has since died, by about 7 percentage points, and failed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney beat President Barack Obama by 12 percentage points in the 6th.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recruited Garrison, a three-term state House member who didn’t seek re-election in 2010, to run for the position.

The DCCC, which recruits and raises money for Democrats seeking U.S. House seats, invited Garrison in May to Washington, D.C., to meet with national Democratic officials to discuss the district and ways to win the race. She was among only six potential House candidates nationwide invited to that event.

While in the Ohio House, Garrison represented all or part of five counties in the 6th, and served in leadership as majority floor leader.

Since leaving politics, Garrison, an attorney, founded the Southeastern Ohio Landowners’ Association, which represents landowners who lease oil and gas rights with her clients receiving over $250 million.

“I’m proud of the association’s efforts to help working people, and I want to take that attitude to Washington,” she said.

When you contribute to the DCCC, you don't get to say, "Oh, by the way, don't give my money to any anti-Choice, anti-immigrant, anti-union, anti-LGBT wingnuts. That's exactly where your money will go. If you don't want to see someone like Jennifer Garrison in Congress, don't donate to the DCCC. That simple! Help real Democrats here instead... pick the ones you want and give them the contributions directly.