By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich (right) endorses Pat DeWine (left) for the upcoming election. (Glenn Hartong photo)

Cincinnati Councilman Pat DeWine picked up support from one Republican Hamilton County commissioner Tuesday in his bid to unseat the other Republican commissioner.

"The easiest thing for me to do would be to endorse the incumbent, John Dowlin, but it is not the best thing for county government," Commissioner Phil Heimlich said. "I'm endorsing Pat DeWine today ... because I need a second vote for change. I need a second vote to reform county government."

DeWine says county government needs to do more to cut taxes and spending, including adopting Heimlich's proposal to force all tax levies to run on the same ballot. Dowlin doesn't like the idea.

Heimlich is the latest Republican to choose sides in the March 2 primary, but one of the few so far to pick DeWine. County Prosecutor Mike Allen and Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro are among Dowlin's many supporters.

Numbers don't mean everything, of course. Another maverick Republican, Tom Brinkman, defeated the party's pick for his Ohio House seat in 2000 despite having support from few leaders other than Heimlich.

Ultimately, it's the voters who count, and the verdict there is mixed so far.

"I think Dowlin has done a good job," said Republican voter Nick Guerrera of Dent. "DeWine has a lot of nerve running for the county when City Council has done such a poor job running the city."

However, another Republican who voted for Dowlin in the past wants to give DeWine a shot.

"I think Dowlin sat around and did nothing for too long," said John Rengering of Wyoming.

The winner of the Republican primary in a county dominated by the GOP will be an overwhelming favorite in the general election.

Republican insiders are predicting a close primary race.

"I've been watching local politics a long time, and you usually have a sense of how it's going to turn out - but this time, I don't," said Buck Niehoff, a former party chairman.

Niehoff is staying out of it, claiming friendship with both candidates.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com