Brady back on ballot
By Jeff Gallatin
Westshore
Published Nov. 1, 2006

Herman	Brady

As the campaign season nears its conclusion, one race has had to pay as much attention to courtrooms and appeal procedures as it has to issues.

As of Monday, Democrat Jennifer Brady was back on the ballot against Republican Ed Herman, for the 16th District statehouse seat. Whoever wins will be replacing longtime representative Sally Conway-Kilbane, who could not seek re-election due to term limits.

Brady, who replaced Michael O’Shea as the Democratic candidate was initially on the ballot but then was ruled off after two district residents protested, saying she did not file the proper paperwork or sign an acceptance form. A 2-2 tie at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections was broken in the protestors favor by the secretary of state’s office but an appeal of that by Brady ended with the Ohio state court of appeals ruling in her favor. However, an appeal of the court’s decision by the secretary of state’s office could cause ballot problems yet again for Brady.

Brady said she thinks the court have given voters a choice in the election.

“You have several judges who have effectively given voters a voice in the campaign again instead of leaving it all to one party,” Brady said.

She said the Secretary of State’s office and the Secretary of State himself – Ken Blackwell, the Republican candidate for governor, is playing politics with the process and her race against Herman.

“My problems were paperwork issues and were taken care of,” she said. “Then, you had judges consider it and rule in our favor. Now, they’re appealing again just for politics.”

Herman said he’s tried to focus on the campaign and not what goes on away from the campaign trail in courtrooms and appeals.

“I’ve always run on the premise that I would have an opponent and that I would have to present myself as the best candidate for the district on issues and not because of other areas,” he said.

Herman, who ran as the Republican candidate for Congress against longtime incumbent Dennis Kucinich two years ago, said that race gives him an edge in seeking the statehouse seat for largely the same group of voters.

“My experience then helped put me in touch with voters in this area and what their needs are,” he said.

He said focusing on creating and retaining jobs for the area and the state as a whole are important issues.

“We’re losing too many people moving out of state after they’ve gotten their education,” he said. “we’ve got to retain our people and bring others in.”

He also cited his experience as a Gulf Ware veteran as giving him needed experience.

Brady said education is a major issue to her, noting that the current state funding system for education has been declared unconstitutional four times.

“I’d be naïve to think I could change it all by myself but I am supportive of plans like Thomas Skindell’s or other plans which could bring positive change,” she said.

Brady alleged that Herman is too close to charter school interest groups.

Herman said his focus is to build a strong education system overall both for the Kindergarten through 12^th grade and higher education via incentives and strong programs.

Brady said she also has a deep concern for seniors and meeting their needs. She said providing necessary services is an important role for a state representative. She also cited a need to try to get rid of what she sees as corruption in the state, citing the Tom Noe scandal with Republicans.