BY HOWARD WILKINSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ten weeks after turning down the Democratic Party's offer to become its candidate for Hamilton County commissioner, Broadway Commons advocate Jim Tarbell is circulating petitions to run as an independent. Mr. Tarbell, the restaurant owner who has led the charge for locating a new Reds ballpark at Broadway Commons, took out petitions from the Hamilton County Board of Elections on Wednesday. It surprised both the Republican Party and the Democrat who did become a county commission candidate, Marilyn Hyland.
"If I can get enough signatures in time, I'm going to go for it," Mr. Tarbell said Thursday.
If he qualifies for the ballot, he will be running for the seat now held by Republican Tom Neyer Jr., the only one of three county commissioners who has yet to decide where he wants the Reds ballpark. Mr. Tarbell has until 4 p.m. Monday to turn in about 2,600 signatures of Hamilton County voters to qualify for the November ballot as an independent candidate.
Earlier this year, Hamilton County Democratic leaders tried to talk Mr. Tarbell into becoming their candidate; and, up until the day before the Feb. 19 filing deadline for partisan candidates, it looked as if he would do it. Mr. Tarbell had narrowly missed being elected to Cincinnati City Council last fall as a Charter candidate and had shown an ability to raise campaign money.
But, at the 11th hour, Mr. Tarbell withdrew, saying a candidacy would take too much time away from his family and business.
The Democrats' last-minute choice was someone who had never held elective office. Ms. Hyland, a 50-year-old Indian Hill resident, is a member of Citizens for Major League Sanity, a watchdog group on county spending on new stadiums. Like Mr. Tarbell, Ms. Hyland wants the Reds ballpark at Broadway Commons.
Mr. Tarbell was clearly the party's first choice for a county commission candidate, but it is by no means clear that party leaders would try to move Ms. Hyland out of the race and replace her with Mr. Tarbell. Political parties have until Aug. 19 to replace candidates who withdraw.
Ms. Hyland said Thursday night she has no plans to withdraw. "'I've got to follow my heart on this," Ms. Hyland said. "We've put together a broad base of support. We have the endorsement of the party. We"re running."
Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke said Mr. Tarbell "has got to make up his mind."
"if Jim makes up his mind to do this, then we'll deal with it," Mr. Burke said. "It would not be fair to Marilyn to say that we would consider endorsing Tarbell. At this point, there's no issue for us to resolve."
Mr. Neyer could not be reached for comment, but Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Mike Allen said he thinks Mr. Tarbell's talk of running for commissioner "is more about gaining some leverage for Broadway Commons than it is about being commissioner."
"If he makes it on the ballot, we'll take him on," Mr. Allen said. "He's going to find out that being county commissioner is one hell of a lot more than where you put a ballpark."
