Wednesday, January 05, 2000
Rhodes, Luebbers won't run for commissioner
BY HOWARD WILKINSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Democrats' Delhi Township “dream team” of Hamilton County commissioner candidates is taking a pass on this year's election.
Many Democrats had hoped that Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes and State Rep. Jerome Luebbers would take on Republican commissioners Bob Bedinghaus and John Dowlin in the 2000 election, but both have told party leaders they won't be running.
Candidates have to file by 4 p.m. Friday to be on the March 7 primary election ballot. As of Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton County Democratic Party leaders had no clear idea who their endorsed county commission candidates would be.
The possibilities, though, had narrowed to four people, including:
• Marilyn Hyland, the Indian Hill Democrat who ran for county commissioner and lost in 1998 and who is already a declared candidate against Mr. Bedinghaus.
• Cincinnati City Councilman Todd Portune, who is mulling over the possibility of running for county commissioner or Congress.
• Colerain Township Trustee Joseph Wolterman, who ran against Mr. Bedinghaus in 1996 and lost.
• Former County Recorder Eve Bolton, who is expected to run for either county commissioner or clerk of courts this year.
Ms. Hyland, who took 44 percent of the vote against GOP Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. in 1998, has already declared she will run for Mr. Bedinghaus' seat, but party leaders were hoping that either Mr. Rhodes or Mr. Luebbers, two conservative Democrats, would take her on in a primary.
In November, Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Luebbers — a state representative who can't run for re-election because of Ohio's term-limits law — said they were considering running as a team against Mr. Bedinghaus and Mr. Dowlin.
Mr. Rhodes did not return phone messages, but Mr. Luebbers said Tuesday that his decision not to run was based “not on the politics of it, but on the personal considerations.”
“I had to ask myself if, at this time of life, I wanted to run my 15th political campaign in 31 years; and the answer was no,” Mr. Luebbers said. “I decided I wanted to spend more time with my wife, with my children and grandchildren. That's just more important to me now.”
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