Ohio Republicans Get Top Candidate To Run In Pryce's District

Ohio Republicans got their favored candidate to run for the open, Columbus-based seat vacated by retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio).

After initially resisting overtures from national Republicans, Ohio state senator Steve Stivers will be announcing this afternoon that he will run against the presumptive Democratic nominee, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy.

Stivers was one of Republicans’ top recruits in the district, but initially declined to run, citing his desire to stay closer with his family and move up the state legislative leadership ranks.

Stivers boasts a compelling biography, serving in Iraq as a lieutenant colonel in the Ohio National Guard. His responsibilities in Iraq included delivering mail and processing military casualties. Previously he served as vice president of government relations at the now-defunct Bank One.

His state legislative district, based in western Franklin County, is largely within the congressional district. He represents the more-Republican part of Pryce’s congressional district, and won reelection in 2004 with 58 percent of the vote.

Kilroy came within a percentage point of defeating Pryce last year, but also had the advantage of running in a highly favorable Democratic statewide and national environment.  She is unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and has banked $384,000 cash-on-hand at the end of September.

The district is highly competitive at the national level: President Bush narrowly carried the district in 2004 with 50 percent of the vote.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is much better prepared to finance open-seat House races, particularly those in major-market districts. They have over $28 million cash-on-hand, while their Republican counterparts at the NRCC only have banked $1.6 million and have a debt of $3.9 million.