Strickland picks Brown

Here are the clips from the announcement by Gov. Ted Strickland of his choice of former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Yvette McGee Brown as his running mate. The Democratic ticket likely will face Republican John Kasich and his running mate, state Auditor Mary Taylor:

Strickland and Brown did not answer reporters questions from the podium — rather, there was a free-for-all gaggle (using the term very loosely) afterward. I caught him later in the day at the Statehouse for a couple of very quick questions, as follows:

Here’s the official release:

COLUMBUS–At a rally announcing his bid for re-election, Governor Ted Strickland today introduced his running mate and the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Yvette McGee Brown. Highlighting the need to lay the foundation for Ohio’s long-term economic growth, Strickland emphasized that McGee Brown would be a critical partner in fighting to expand opportunity and create an economy that works for Ohio families. ??”Like just about every state, Ohio has been hit by an economic storm that started on Wall Street and hit us harder than anything we’ve seen in our lifetime. This global recession has hurt Ohioans – but we’re fighting back and we have a plan to grow Ohio’s economy,” Strickland said. “I believe that investing in the people who work for a living is the surest path to rebuild our economy from the ground up. Because we may have been knocked down, but we will get right back up and keep fighting for the promise of Ohio.” ??Strickland continued, “I could not be more proud today to announce that my partner in this fight for Ohio’s future is Yvette McGee Brown. Yvette is someone whose life is marked by the great opportunities she found here in Ohio and by the even greater service she chose to give back to this state and its people. I asked Yvette to be my running mate because I know she will work her heart out on behalf of Ohio’s working people.” ??McGee Brown is the current and founding president of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a former Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge, and an active, respected leader in the central Ohio community. A lifelong resident of Columbus, Yvette was born to a teenage mother who worked two jobs to provide for her children. Buoyed by the great opportunities available in Ohio, McGee Brown has devoted her career to public service and expanding access to these same opportunities to more Ohioans. ??”I am proud to stand beside Ted today because he and I both know that we must invest in Ohio’s future so that it continues to be a place of great opportunity. We share the belief that good ideas don’t just come from board rooms and conference tables- there’s plenty of wisdom to be found in Ohio’s living rooms and kitchen tables,” McGee Brown said. “And we know that the definition of leadership isn’t ignoring people’s problems and hoping for the best. Over the last three years, Ted has worked every day on behalf of families struggling in this economy. I look forward to joining him in this fight.”

And here’s the Republican response:

(Columbus) – Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine issued the following statement today regarding Gov. Ted Strickland’s choice of Yvette McGee Brown as his gubernatorial running mate:

“I couldn’t think of a more uninspiring pick, and I wonder how she feels knowing she’s the governor’s eighth choice because everyone else said no.  He’s had nearly a year to make this selection, and the best he could come up with in the face of an unprecedented fiscal emergency is a social worker with no experience in public finance or state government.  That should tell you something about the fate of this administration.  Clearly, no one else wanted to run with Ted Strickland because they know he’s a one-term governor. 

Nothing Ted Strickland adds to his sinking ship will save him at this point.  He promised to turn around Ohio’s economy and instead lost 330,000 jobs, delivered double-digit unemployment rates, raised taxes and created the largest fiscal deficit in state history.  He might need a social worker to counsel him through that failure, but Ohio needs a governor with the backbone and experience to make bold, visionary choices.  That’s not Ted Strickland, and it’s certainly not Yvette McGee Brown.

The contrast John Kasich offers to this race is profound.  He’s a nationally-respected fiscal expert who balanced the federal budget for the first time since man walked on the moon, and his running mate is the state auditor, a certified public accountant and one of the most qualified candidates ever to run for lieutenant governor.  At this time in Ohio’s history, the choice could not be more clear.”

Prior to Strickland’s selection of McGee-Brown, at least seven other people were reported to be under consideration, including Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, State Representative Matt Szollosi, Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams, Congressman Tim Ryan, Workers’ Compensation Administrator Marsha Ryan and State Representative Jay Goyal.