With three weeks until Election Day, advocates of clean campaigns are still waiting for the two major-party candidates for governor to sign a code of conduct.
The Ohio Project on Campaign Conduct has persuaded candidates in two other statewide races to sign up, most recently the two men running for state auditor.
Incumbent Republican Jim Petro and Democrat Louis Strike, a corporate turnaround specialist from Symmes Township, pledged Friday to avoid personal attacks, innuendo and stereotyping in the remaining days of the campaign.
They also vowed to focus on issues related to the office and to avoid demeaning visual images of their opponent in campaign commercials. Ken Blackwell and Charleta Tavares, candidates for secretary of state, previously signed the pledge.
In the race for governor, Republican Bob Taft and Democrat Lee Fisher have been unable to agree on the wording of a similar pledge. Both sides already have accused the other of negative attacks.
Dems for Chabot
Two sisters who are daughters of a Democratic elected official will head a newly-formed group of Democrats pushing the candidacy of Republican incumbent Steve Chabot in the 1st Congressional District.
Julie Lee, a computer programmer, and Jill Wyndstandt, a sixth-grade teacher, are the daughters of State Rep. Jerome Luebbers, D-Delhi Township.
They have agreed to serve as co-chairwomen of "Democrats for Chabot," a group that will try to convince 1st District Democrats to vote for Mr. Chabot over the Democratic candidate, Roxanne Qualls. The group includes about half a dozen Democrats, according to the Chabot campaign.
The Campaign Notebook is compiled by staff of The Cincinnati Enquirer and runs Tuesday-Saturday.
