Ohio Democrats State Logo

Ohio Democratic

County Chairs Association

Ohio Democrats Party ODP Logo

Main Navigation

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • WHY We Are Democrats!
    • County Chairs
      • ODCCA Officers – 2019-2023
        • Message from President Janet Carson
        • ODCCA Executive Committee, Regional Liaisons & Committees
        • County Chairs of the Year – 2020
        • ODCCA Constitution and Bylaws
        • How Ohio’s 88 counties got their names
    • Ohio Democratic Party (ODP)
      • History: Ohio Democratic Party
    • Democratic National Committee
      • DNC Officers
      • Ohio DNC Members
  • Team
    • President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris
      • Nominees and Appointees
      • The American Rescue Act of 2021
      • American Jobs Plan – 2nd Phase of ‘Build Back Better’ agenda
      • American Families Plan – 3rd Phase of ‘Build Back Better’ Agenda
      • Speeches by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
    • Senator Sherrod Brown
    • U.S. House of Representatives
      • Congressman Greg Landsman – Ohio’s 1st District
      • Congresswoman Joyce Beatty – Ohio’s 3rd District
      • Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur – Ohio’s 9th District
      • Congresswoman Shontel Brown – Ohio’s 11th District
      • Congresswoman Emilia Sykes – Ohio’s 13th District
    • Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court
      • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly
      • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody J. Stewart
      • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner
    • State Senate Minority Leadership – 135th General Assembly
    • State House Minority Leadership – 135th General Assembly
    • Former President Barack Obama
  • Candidates
    • Interested in being a candidate?
      • Candidate Information: Guides, Forms, Links
      • LEAD Ohio & Main Street Initiative Trainings Announced: Run for Office 2023
  • News
  • Issues
  • Action Items
  • Events
    • Are you ready to vote in 2023?
    • ODCCA
      • ODCCA & ODP County Chairs Monthly Zoom Meetings
      • ODCCA Meetings & ODP Co-Hosted Events
    • Local County Parties
    • ODP
      • County Chairs Monthly Zoom Meetings
    • DNC
  • Contact Us
  • Links
  • Members Only

Mandel could be in for a battle in Pillich, beleaguered Democrats at least have found the right candidate for the right race

November 4, 2013

Columbus Dispatch // Joe Hallett 

So, Connie Pillich, what did you do in the Air Force?  “I prevented nuclear war.”Pausing, she added, “You’re welcome.”

And, Mrs. Pillich, what’s your husband’s name?”Paul Forshey.”Pausing, she added, “He didn’t want to change his name when we got married.”

Those answers might give Josh Mandel pause, because they say several things about state Rep. Connie Pillich, his Democratic opponent for state treasurer next year: She has a sense of humor, a military record to match Mandel’s, and she is a very determined woman.

Here’s how determined: Legislative Republicans, worried about the up-and-comer, gerrymandered Pillich’s suburban Cincinnati 28th House District in 2010 to make it 54 percent Republican. Even so, she beat her GOP opponent by 9 percentage points last year.

She won by knocking on 24,000 doors and talking with voters about what concerns them: education, the economy and getting things done, not the issues that fixate House Republicans — abortion and guns.

“This isn’t the first time I’m running an uphill battle,” said Pillich, now serving her third two-year term. “I’m never supposed to win, but I do.”

…

Mandel has made himself a flashpoint for controversy. He spent about 10 minutes in the treasurer’s office before deciding he wanted to be a U.S. senator. His loss to incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown after a raunchy campaign left Mandel with nearly universal name-recognition and a whole lot of negativity attached to that name.

Mandel has stayed in the news by joining the tea party charge against Kasich’s efforts to expand Medicaid coverage and impose a fracking tax, and more recently by becoming ensnared in a budding fundraising scandal involving indicted wealthy GOP donor Benjamin Suarez.

…

Pillich, a 53-year-old mother of two college students and wife of a Proctor & Gamble chemist, might be his match as a campaigner, and she has an impressive military resume of her own.

Raised in a small town near Buffalo, N.Y., Pillich landed an Air Force ROTC scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and then spent more than eight years on active duty, getting a business master’s from the University of North Dakota while stationed near Grand Forks and serving in Berlin during the Cold War.

She ended up as a recruiter in Cincinnati, where she met her husband, went to law school and eventually opened her own firm.

The treasurer’s office “is a good fit for me,” Pillich said. “My MBA, my work in banking law, running my own business — those are great skills to bring to the office.”

Along with incumbency, Mandel has another mighty advantage: He is one of the best fundraisers Ohio has ever seen and he could overwhelm Pillich with money.

But in Pillich, beleaguered Democrats at least have found the right candidate for the right race.

Blog Sidebar

Search the Site

Categories

  • Candidates
  • Events
    • DNC
    • Local County Parties
    • ODCCA
    • ODP
  • Issues
    • Federal
    • State
  • News
  • Photo Galleries
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • ‘The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety’ language approved by Ballot Board March 13, 2023
  • Householder and Borges found GUILTY in racketeering conspiracy case; GOP silent; Ohio is victim March 12, 2023
  • Editorial: Joe Deters was a ‘Mistaken Choice’ for Ohio Supreme Court March 9, 2023
  • “Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety” language to be submitted to Ohio AG February 21, 2023
  • DNC moves 2024 presidential primary calendar February 4, 2023

Contribute to ODCCA

Donate Now

Your contributions
DO make a difference!

When you contribute,
you make a difference in Ohio!
Thank You!

Donate Now

Recent News

  • ‘The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety’ language approved by Ballot Board
  • Householder and Borges found GUILTY in racketeering conspiracy case; GOP silent; Ohio is victim
  • Editorial: Joe Deters was a ‘Mistaken Choice’ for Ohio Supreme Court
  • “Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety” language to be submitted to Ohio AG
  • DNC moves 2024 presidential primary calendar
  • GOP continues to live up to being the Party of NO
  • Big Ohio redistricting changes before 2024? Don’t count on it, experts say
  •  
  • View all news

Current Issues

  • SCOTUS: Important cases to be decided in 2022-2023 session
  • State Issue 1 – What is it? Why is it on the November 8th ballot?
  • State Issue 2 – What is it? Why is it on the November 8th ballot?
  • Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 = Historic Legislation
  • SFC Heath Robinson PACT Act
  • Redistricting: Ohio 2021 – What * Why * Who * Where * When
  • What issues may be on the ballot? Who determines what issue is on ballot?
  •  
  • View all issues

Pages

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • WHY We Are Democrats!
    • County Chairs
      • ODCCA Officers – 2019-2023
        • Message from President Janet Carson
        • ODCCA Executive Committee, Regional Liaisons & Committees
        • County Chairs of the Year – 2020
        • ODCCA Constitution and Bylaws
        • How Ohio’s 88 counties got their names
    • Ohio Democratic Party (ODP)
      • History: Ohio Democratic Party
    • Democratic National Committee
      • DNC Officers
      • Ohio DNC Members
  • Team
    • President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris
      • Nominees and Appointees
      • The American Rescue Act of 2021
      • American Jobs Plan – 2nd Phase of ‘Build Back Better’ agenda
      • American Families Plan – 3rd Phase of ‘Build Back Better’ Agenda
      • Speeches by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
    • Senator Sherrod Brown
    • U.S. House of Representatives
      • Congressman Greg Landsman – Ohio’s 1st District
      • Congresswoman Joyce Beatty – Ohio’s 3rd District
      • Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur – Ohio’s 9th District
      • Congresswoman Shontel Brown – Ohio’s 11th District
      • Congresswoman Emilia Sykes – Ohio’s 13th District
    • Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court
      • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly
      • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody J. Stewart
      • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner
    • State Senate Minority Leadership – 135th General Assembly
    • State House Minority Leadership – 135th General Assembly
    • Former President Barack Obama
  • Candidates
    • Interested in being a candidate?
      • Candidate Information: Guides, Forms, Links
      • LEAD Ohio & Main Street Initiative Trainings Announced: Run for Office 2023
  • News
  • Issues
  • Action Items
  • Events
    • Are you ready to vote in 2023?
    • ODCCA
      • ODCCA & ODP County Chairs Monthly Zoom Meetings
      • ODCCA Meetings & ODP Co-Hosted Events
    • Local County Parties
    • ODP
      • County Chairs Monthly Zoom Meetings
    • DNC
  • Contact Us
  • Links
  • Members Only
Donate Now

© 2014 Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association, All Rights Reserved

Paid for and authorized by the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association, Amy F. Grubbe/Treasurer, 2810 Hull Road #6, Huron 44839.

Not authorized by any Federal, state or county candidate or campaign committee.