Brunner News
Rethinking the Ohio Dem Primary
by on 04.15.2010
. . . Dems in OH and DC have begun to whisper that Brunner may just pull out a come-from-behind primary victory. It's a long-shot, they say, but even those who have worked against her behind the scenes say it's possible.
An OH-connected Dem who is officially neutral but loosely affiliated with the Fisher team said, "It's an open race. I wouldn't be surprised if either of them pulls it out."
Political observers in OH say in what many expect will be a low turnout primary, Brunner could be better positioned due to her connection with the base.
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Brunner, Local Mayors Talk Jobs at V&M
by on 04.15.2010
A U.S. Senate hopeful made several campaign stops in the area Wednesday, including one at V&M Star, one of the few local businesses in the Mahoning Valley in the process of a major expansion.
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, stopped at the plant to spend a few minutes speaking to Girard Mayor Jim Melfi and Niles Mayor Ralph Infante.
"We've lost a lot over a decade, and we are tired of cutting back," Melfi said. "We want to give people the services they deserve."
The mayors said they want federal elected officials to get more dollars to this area and help get more people working.
While V&M Star is one of the more positive business stories to happen in the area, in recent years there have been plenty of negative ones, like in Niles, where their major employer just pulled out.
"We just lost G.E., and we now have a big building we need to get filled," said Infante.
Brunner said the Mahoning Valley is an area she won't forget if she is elected and that she will do what she can to help the area grow.
Brunner also made stops in Youngstown and at the Girard Multigenerational Center.
Source: WYTV-33 (Youngstown)
Six Graduate From Mahoning Drug Court
by on 04.15.2010
Six valley residents are taking a big step forward in their battle with drugs.
The group graduated Wednesday morning from the Mahoning County Common Pleas Drug Court.
On hand to congratulate each one was Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who started the first adult felony drug court in Franklin County.
Each graduate went through at least a year of rehabilitation and is required to be at least six months sober to receive their diploma.
They also have to be in school or have a job to finish the program.
Source: WYTV-33 (Youngstown)
Brunner Makes Campaign Stop in Struthers
by on 04.14.2010
STRUTHERS, Ohio- Ohio Secretary of state Jennifer Brunner was in Struthers Wednesday to tour new businesses in the city.
Brunner toured the Castlo Industrial Park, which she said has used innovation to create jobs.
"A major theme of our campaign has been about courage," Brunner said.
She said the purpose of the tour is to get a chance to meet people one-on-one.
"We've been purposely running a grassroots campaign because we think it's a better way to reach voters and for voters to see who they're getting," Brunner said.
Source: Read more
Ohio’s U.S. Senate hopefuls Brunner, Fisher debate in Cleveland
by on 04.14.2010
. . .
Fisher, given the chance to question Brunner directly in front of a banquet hall crowd of about 400, asked why she hasn't offered to support him if he wins the nomination.
Brunner said her role as Ohio's elections chief requires her neutrality to avoid the appearance of partisan bias. "I've never endorsed a candidate yet the whole time I've been secretary of state," she said later.
Brunner complained about Fisher calling her "Jennifer" in debate comments and said he should address her as Secretary of State. She later told reporters she felt the treatment was disrespectful.
Fisher said he meant no disrespect. "Frankly, if I had thought that was an issue, I wouldn't have done it. I want her to call me Lee, but I'm happy from now on to call her Secretary of State," he said.
Fisher said he wants to serve in the Senate to reverse Washington policies that he said have harmed Ohio. He specifically mentioned tax incentives that have meant the loss of jobs to other countries.
Brunner said she was determined to inspire trust. She also said it was up to voters to determine whether Fisher had made the right move by quitting as Ohio's development director last year amid the recession.
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Source: Newark Advocate
Brunner Senate Campaign Video Calls Out Fisher Hypocrisy on Negative Campaigning
by on 04.13.2010
U.S. Senate hopeful Jennifer Brunner released a campaign video today that calls out her Democratic Party rival on his pledge that he "hasn't" and he "won't" engage in negative campaigning - despite his long history of engaging in it.
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| Click image to watch video |
The Brunner campaign launched the video after Fisher pushed Democratic voters in an email to sign a petition about a directive she issued as Secretary of State and falsely accused her of requiring "loyalty oaths" from primary voters who change between the two major political parties.
Fisher's attack mimics Republican attacks on Brunner for issuing a directive requiring primary voters who switch parties between the two major political parties to sign a form required by law that they support the principles of their new party. The directive offers guidance to county elections officials about how to implement a law that has been on the books for almost 60 years and used by many boards of elections throughout the state.
Brunner said the directive is needed to instruct counties that the law must be applied uniformly, especially in light of the increasing number of absentee ballots being cast in Ohio.
Fisher's campaign has been funded largely from high-dollar contributions from wealthy and special-interest contributors. Yet, he remains virtually tied with Brunner's scrappy, grassroots campaign that raises large numbers of small dollar donations. His latest attack picks up the mantle of the GOP, even adopting their characterization of the forms as a "loyalty oath," in attacking Brunner's actions as Secretary of State.
In the new video, Brunner uses recent footage of Fisher condemning negative campaigning:
"I hate negative campaigning," Fisher says during a Feb. 28 appearance before the Northeast Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus. "I will not run a negative campaign in the primary. I haven't and I won't."
Source: Press Release
Brunner campaign to stop in Willoughby Hills
by on 04.12.2010
U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Jennifer Brunner and her Courage Express bus tour will make a stop Wednesday in Willoughby Hills.
Brunner, who is currently Ohio Secretary of State, will appear at National College, 27557 Chardon Road. The bus will be on site from 4 to 4:45 p.m.
Brunner plans to speak with students and faculty as part of her appearance, said Julie Daniels of the campaign.
Source: News Herald
NO COST, NOT A FUNDRAISER Meet and Greet with US Senate Candidate Jennifer Brunner
by on 04.12.2010
Ohio Secretary of State and realNEO member Jennifer Brunner shows love for realNEO, so there is certainly much to support about her (besides thanking her for cleaning up the Secretary of State's office)... and she is running for US Senate, so now is your chance...
Find out more this coming Saturday, as guests of State Representatives Mike Foley and Matt Patten, at a NO COST, NOT A FUNDRAISER Meet and Greet with Ohio Secretary of State and US Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner.
Source: Real NEO
Editorial: Crossover voter directive backs law
by on 04.11.2010
But poor timing and related confusion aside, we can't blame Brunner for trying to stick to the letter and spirit of the law, as it appears she's doing.
Understandably, it may come as an inconvenience to voters in those counties where the statute was interpreted differently and/or not strictly enforced.
That said, we feel Geauga County elections officials are right to now follow Brunner's directive.
Also understandable is that many of those same voters — as well as some in counties that have enforced the law — may find it disagreeable. If so, we encourage them to express their views to their state legislators.
Source: News Herald
Secretary of state speaks at Democratic dinner
by on 04.07.2010
The Morgan County Democrat Political Action Committee held its spring dinner recently at the VFW in Malta. The featured speaker was Jennifer Brunner, Ohio secretary of state and Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate.
. . .
Regarding her bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, Brunner talked about her grass roots campaign, and that most of her contributions are from people who have donated less than $200.
“The best way to return this country to prosperity is from the ground up. If we empower people to be more financially independent, take better care of our families, it will in turn make our economy vastly more profitable,” Brunner said.
She talked about the importance of public service and that even in tough times it is important to focus on fairness, equality, and respect.
“When public service is done right, it is what makes miraculous things happen in people’s lives. With the right kind of leadership, it knows no bounds,” said Brunner.
. . .
Source: Morgan County Herald
Brunner Senate campaign gets on the school bus
by on 04.06.2010
Taking a page from the campaign of the late Paul Wellstone, Jennifer Brunner’s U.S. Senate campaign has bought a school bus to tour the state and try to rustle up votes in Brunner’s campaign for the Democratic nomination against Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.
“We want you to be part of helping us name it,” Brunner, the secretary of state, said in an e-mail to supporters and potential supporters on Monday, April 5. Click here for more information on the bus.
Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat, traveled across Minnesota in 1990 in a converted school bus en route to his upset victory in the U.S. Senate race there. His bus was green.
Brunner’s is silver. It once carried students in Licking County, according to her e-mail.
Source: Dayton Daily News
Brunner is simply enforcing the law
by on 04.02.2010
Mr. Chip Kussmaul’s letter (“No loyalty oath,” April 2) demonstrated misplaced anger towards Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
Ohhio is a closed primary system. That is, Democrats vote in the Domocrat primary and Republicans vote in the Republican primary. At least since 1953, Ohio law required an elections judge to challenge the right to vote of a person who is a member of the other political party trying to vote in the opposite party’s primary. That law still exists today. As recently as 2004, the Republican dominated Ohio Supreme Court ruled that if a Board of Elections adopted a no challenge policy, and divested elections officials and judges of their statutory authority and responsibility to challenge an improper voter, it was cause for a contest of election lawsuit.
All the secretary of state is doing is enforcing the law. She has no choice. That is her job.
Timothy M. Burke
Chairman
Hamilton County Democratic Party
State Election Official Teaches Students About Vote@17
by on 04.01.2010
Ohio law allows 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections, as long as they will be 18 years old on or before the General Election. That’s the message Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner took to Whetstone High School in Columbus Thursday.
Brunner told the crowd of juniors and seniors the only thing they can’t vote on are one-time questions like school levies or statewide ballot issues.
An electronic voting machine was available in the hallway for students to become oriented and practice.
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Source: NBC4i-TV Columbus