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The Times-Reporter Endorses Jennifer!
The New Philadelphia Times Reporter
October 28, 2006
One of the most important statewide offices Ohio voters will be filling this Nov. 7 is that of secretary of state. Our state's electoral system, which the secretary of state operates, has been in disarray for years. The questionable handling of the 2004 presidential election and the bungled May primary in Cuyahoga County have made this state a laughingstock on par with Florida when it comes to voting. The national news media will have our electoral system under a microscope when the 2008 presidential election rolls around. That's why it's critical Ohio voters pick the next secretary of state with care. The two candidates are Democrat Jennifer Brunner, a former Franklin County common pleas judge, and Republican Greg Hartmann, Hamilton County's clerk of courts. The Times-Reporter thinks voters should choose Brunner. Brunner, in a meeting with The T-R's editorial board, stressed that she wants to be secretary of state. The two previous occupants of the post, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and current Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, tended to view the position as a way station on the road to higher office. We can't afford that inattention any more. Brunner, who comes across as competent and highly informed about the job, plans to work with county boards of election to make it easier to register and improve election procedures. She says she is committed to demanding government be accountable and collaborative with common sense methods to offer the best possible customer service. Both Brunner and Hartmann say they will not campaign for issues or candidates while in office, unlike Blackwell, who served as the chairman of President Bush's reelection campaign in Ohio in 2004. We welcome that commitment. We are troubled by Hartmann's record as clerk of courts. He left thousands of documents on his Web site for years despite complaints that this could subject people to identity theft. He didn't remove the documents until a lawsuit was filed. In light of the recent news that the Social Security numbers of Tuscarawas County voters potentially were available on the Internet, we want someone as secretary of state we can trust to handle sensitive voter information. We think Jennifer Brunner is the best person for the job of secretary of state.
