Friday, January 07, 2000
Boehner foe will try again
Griffin in Democrats' congressional primary
BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Spurning the wishes of local Democratic Party leaders, retired Miamisburg farmer John Griffin entered the race Thursday for the party's nomination for the 8th Congressional District seat.
Mr. Griffin enraged party leaders in 1998 by upsetting the party's endorsed candidate, retired Miami University English professor Roland Duerksen, in the primary.
Mr. Griffin, who received no Democratic funding, was buried in the 1998 general election by John Boehner, the powerful Republican incumbent from West Chester.
Yet he is hoping for another shot at Mr. Boehner.
He filed his petitions for the March 7 Democratic primary Thursday. He will run against John G. Parks, a Miami University English professor who lives in Oxford. Mr. Parks has never run for public office.
Don Daiker, chairman of the Butler County Democratic Party, accused Mr. Griffin of being a frivolous candidate who cares nothing about the party or the national issues.
Mr. Griffin served one term on the Ohio Board of Education and has run unsuccessfully many times for various offices. He has been defeated in four congressional races.
“John Griffin runs simply to see his name on the ballot,” Mr. Daiker said. “He is not a serious candidate and has never been a serious candidate.
“He's the best friend that the Republican Party ever had.”
Mr. Griffin, 70, said he's not running for Congress to spite Democratic Party leaders.
“I don't want to rock no boats,” he said.
“I'm not trying to irritate anybody. I'm just interested in the political system,” Mr. Griffin said.
“I feel we need to put the names out there and let the public make the choice.”
Mr. Parks, 58, said he had hoped to run unopposed in the primary so that he could conserve campaign funds for the race against Mr. Boehner.
But Mr. Daiker said there could be a positive side to a contested Democratic primary race. He said it might help Mr. Parks in the general election.
“For a first-time candidate like John Parks, the primary will give him better name recognition and help him hone his campaigning skills,” Mr. Daiker said.
Mr. Parks has been campaigning for several months and will be given the Democratic Party's full support in the primary, Mr. Daiker said.
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