By Greg Giroux
From CQ Politics
Ohio state Rep. Todd Book (D) is dropping his 2010 campaign against Rep. Jean Schmidt (R), a setback for Democratic officials who had been promoting his candidacy in the Cincinnati-area 2nd district.
“I have decided I cannot commit the necessary time to run for the U.S. Congress. This was not an easy decision, but it is one that was made with the best intentions for my family, the good people of southern Ohio and the Democratic Party,” Book said, according to the Portsmouth Daily Times newspaper.
Book announced his candidacy in late July, drawing backing from Gov. Ted Strickland and the Ohio Democratic Party. But he reported raising just $64,000 in this year’s third quarter, and the Cincinnati Enquirer said that a labor organization recently rescinded its support of Book’s campaign.
Book’s withdrawal leaves David Krikorian, who has a background in business, as the only Democratic candidate opposing Schmidt at the moment. Krikorian ran as an independent in the 2008 election, winning 18 percent of the vote in a race in which Schmidt won 45 percent of the vote and runner-up Victoria Wulsin (D) took 37 percent of the vote.
Schmidt faces opposition in the Republican primary from Mike Kilburn, a county commissioner.
Surya Yalamanchili, a marketing executive, is running as an independent.
CQ Politics presently rates the Ohio 2 race as Leans Republican, though that rating may be reassessed in light of Book’s withdrawal.
To follow the 2010 House races, check out the CQ Politics election map.
Now i have seen it all. Two clowns on stage of the same party. Fra Schmidt and Kill-Progress(killburn).I lived in Warren County for twenty seven years where non sewer Killburn presided.You got the two biggesr do-nothings in Ohio.Glad I moved to Virginia.