By Cindi Andrews
Enquirer staff writer

The Republican Party can't force Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen to bow out of his re-election campaign, local party leaders concluded after a 1½-hour closed-door meeting Wednesday afternoon.

ALLEN COVERAGE State Rep. Tom Brinkman (R) after Wednesday's meeting. The Enquirer/STEVEN M. HERPPICH

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"The reality is Mike's on the ballot, and we're stuck with that," Clerk of Courts Greg Hartmann said. "It's just a difficult situation that we've been put in."

Hartmann was among more than a dozen countywide and legislative officeholders who met at the Queen City Club downtown to discuss the Allen scandal. County GOP chairman Michael Barrett said no decisions were made.

Allen, 48, of Miami Township, was one of the most powerful politicians in Hamilton County until Aug. 25, when he admitted having a 31/2-year extramarital affair with an employee.

The next day, assistant prosecutor Rebecca Collins, 33, sued him for sexual harassment in U.S. District Court, saying he coerced her into the relationship.

Still, there was no discussion of asking Allen to resign, several Republicans said.

"Everybody at the meeting is very disappointed at what Mike has admitted to, which is not something we would do ourselves," state Rep. Bill Seitz of Green Township said.

Barrett, who has been largely silent on the scandal, said Wednesday he has had "some discussions" with Allen but has not asked him to step down.

County Commissioner Phil Heimlich said after the meeting that Allen should take a leave of absence until Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro completes an investigation of the prosecutor's office.

Allen - himself the former county GOP chairman - has told the media he will not resign as prosecutor.

The timing of the revelations was bad for both parties because Allen is running unopposed and it's too late for new candidates to join or replace him on the ballot.

The only way a candidate can enter now is as a write-in, and even write-ins must file their intentions by 4 p.m. Monday. Only Republican James Rueger of Green Township has filed so far, and he did so without the blessing of GOP leaders.

Republican state Rep. Tom Brinkman of Mount Lookout said a write-in campaign would be hopeless as long as Allen is on the ballot. "A write-in is not going to win against a name on the ballot," Brinkman said. "There's people who don't know a thing about what's going on."

Barrett said he isn't ruling out any options at this point.

"I don't know exactly where we'll end up at 4 o'clock on Monday," he said.

If Allen won re-election and then resigned, the Republican Party could replace him.

The replacement would not have to run for election until November 2006.

Meanwhile, several Democrats confirmed Wednesday that they are considering running against Allen as write-ins. Among them: Cincinnati Councilman John Cranley; Jody Luebbers, a former assistant prosecutor; and Fanon Rucker, a part-time prosecutor for Lincoln Heights and Woodlawn who almost ran for county prosecutor in the March primary.

Cincinnati Herald publisher Eric Kearney - an independent whom Democrats had been talking to - decided Wednesday not to run.

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E-mail candrews@enquirer.com