Jean Schmidt

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Jean Schmidt
Jean Schmidt
Born	November 29, 1951 Cincinnati, Ohio

Jeannette Marie Hoffman Schmidt (born November 29, 1951) is an American politician of the Republican Party who is a U.S. Representative from the state of Ohio. Schmidt won a special election on August 2, 2005, in the state's Second District (map) to replace Rob Portman, who resigned. She is the second Ohio woman of her party to be elected to Congress without succeeding her husband and the first woman to represent southwestern Ohio. Schmidt took the oath of office in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives on September 6, 2005.

Schmidt, a lifelong resident of Clermont County, won an eleven-way primary on June 14, 2005, against better-known and better-funded opponents. In the special general election, Schmidt faced Democratic nominee Paul Hackett, an attorney and Marine who saw service in the Iraq War. In a district accustomed to Republican landslides, she won by only 3.5 % amid national attention to the race and the narrowness of her victory led many Democrats to claim a victory for their party and forecast trouble for the Republicans in 2006.

Contents 1 Background 2 Local politics 3 Elected to the Ohio House 3.1 Her district 3.2 Committee assignments 3.3 Active legislator 4 Runs for the Ohio Senate 5 Seeks Seat in Congress 5.1 Primary campaign 5.1.1 Launches campaign 5.1.2 Schmidt runs as a conservative 5.1.3 Criticized on taxes 5.1.4 Personalities an issue in the primary 5.1.5 Endorsements in the primary 5.1.6 Wins the nomination 5.2 Special general election 5.2.1 Running in a Republican district 5.2.2 Schmidt's independence and ethics attacked 5.2.3 Few debates 5.2.4 Both candidates wealthy 5.2.5 Schmidt widely endorsed 5.2.6 On the issues 5.2.6.1 Environment 5.2.6.2 Taxes and spending 5.2.6.3 Abortion 5.2.6.4 Iraq War 5.2.7 National attention on the race 5.2.8 Local endorsements 5.2.9 General election results 5.2.10 Both parties claim victory 6 Enters Congress 7 See also 8 External links 9 References

Background

Schmidt, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a lifelong resident of northwestern Clermont County's Miami Township [1]—the area along the eastern shore of Little Miami River near Milford and Loveland. One of four children (two daughters, two sons) of Augustus ("Gus") and Jeannette Hoffmann, she has a twin sister, Jennifer Black. Her father made his money in the savings and loan industry, then ran an auto racing team which competed in the Indianapolis 500 [2]. Schmidt loves the sport: "I'd rather smell ethanol than Chanel No. 5," she told The Cincinnati Enquirer in 2005.

She holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Cincinnati, one in political science, earned in 1974, and one in secondary education for social studies, earned in 1986. She was a schoolteacher but quit in order to nurse her ailing mother, who died in 1990.

Schmidt is a member of the Clermont County Chamber of Commerce [3], the Clermont County 20/20 Committee [4], the Clermont County League of Women Voters [5], the Clermont County Agricultural Society [6], Clermont County Township Association [7], and the Milford-Miami Township Chamber of Commerce [8]. She was elected chairman of the Greater Cincinnati Right to Life [9] organization in 2005. Schmidt is a trustee of the Clermont County Library [10], having previously served from 1980 to 1992 and 1994 to 2000 and was reappointed to the board in 2005. She is also a director of the Clermont County Mercy Hospital Foundation Board [11].

Schmidt, a Catholic, has been a member of Elizabeth Ann Seton Church since 1978. She is a marathon runner, having competed in fifty-four races including thirteen runs of the Boston Marathon. She and her husband, Peter W. Schmidt, a stockbroker, have one child, a daughter, Emilie (born circa 1978).

Local politics

Schmidt was elected as a Miami Township trustee in 1989, coming in first of three candidates for two seats and winning 4,362 votes. When Clermont County Commissioner Jerry McBride resigned in 1991 to become a judge, Schmidt was one of four candidates to replace him, but was not appointed by the Clermont County Republican Party. In her 1993 bid for reelection, she finished first in a field of four, taking about one-third of the vote and 3,644 votes.

In 1995, she traveled to Russia to offer instruction about political campaigning in a country which had little experience of free elections. On her trip she ran in Moscow's Red Square. "Did I ever feel unsafe?" she said. "No. And would I jog through Central Park in New York? No way."

One major issue during her service on the Board of Trustees was one common in Ohio: a city, in this case Milford, was annexing parts of the township and hurting its tax base. She and other trustees lobbied the Ohio General Assembly for new laws to protect townships from such annexations. In 1993, a panel of Miami Township residents recommended the township incorporate to protect itself from annexations, to have greater control over its territory, and to obtain more money from the state. However, Schmidt as a trustee was not a participant in this effort, saying she had to be a "cheerleader" on the sides rather than a participant. (The incorporation effort failed.)

Schmidt was reelected to a third term in 1997, finishing first in a field of three with 5,110 votes. "Jean has been an excellent trustee and has done so much for this community. It is going to be hard to find someone that's as committed to the township as she has been," said David Duckworth, Miami Township administrator, when she resigned her trustee seat to enter the Ohio House. Mary Markley Wolf was appointed to serve the remainder of the term by the other two trustees.

Elected to the Ohio House

In 2000 she ran for the Ohio House of Representatives seat being vacated by Sam Bateman, who was prevented by term limits from running again. She told The Cincinnati Post that before Bateman had been appointed to the seat in the early 1980s, Clermont County Republican leaders "offered me the job on a silver platter" but she turned them down because her daughter was only four years old at the time. But in 2000, her daughter was in college and she decided to run. Unopposed in the March primary, The Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed her in the general election, writing "Seldom has a choice been more obvious than that between Republican Jean Schmidt and Democrat Sherrill Callahan." Schmidt was easily elected to the 124th Ohio General Assembly from the 71st House District by defeating Callahan, a retired high school principal from Pierce Township. Schmidt received 36,433 votes (70.4%) to Callahan's 15,327 (29.6%).

Her district

Her district was entirely within Clermont County and contained Batavia, Goshen ,Miami, Pierce, Stonelick and Union Townships, plus the municipalities of Amelia, Batavia, and Milford, and the Clermont County part of the city of Loveland. After the redistricting necessitated by the 2000 census, her district became the 66th and contained the same territory minus Pierce and Stonelick Townships.[12]

Committee assignments

In the House she served on the Finance and Appropriations; Human Services and Aging; Banking, Pensions and Securities; and Public Utilities Committees. She was excited to be in the Statehouse: "Oh my God, I'm really a state representative" she was overhead telling a fellow freshman.[13] . In 2002, she was elected to the 125th General Assembly without opposition in both the primary and general elections.

Active legislator

The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote she introduced and passed bills "remarkable in number and quality for a neophyte lawmaker." She sponsored legislation on the Clermont County courts [14], limiting the ability of public employees to collect a pension and a salary ("double dipping") [15], urban townships, and protecting townships from annexations of their territory by cities, all of which were passed into law. She also pushed legislation on the health of women, suicide prevention, abstinence education, and to "lock killers away for good" by making it easier for judges to sentence murderers to life terms. Schmidt also supported Ohio's concealed carry law. [16]

Runs for the Ohio Senate

In 2004, she ran for the 14th District seat in the Ohio Senate to replace Senate President Doug White, who was retiring. The Senate seat represented Clermont, Brown, Adams, and Scioto Counties and part of Lawrence County. Her opponent for the Republican nomination was Tom Niehaus, a fellow member of the Ohio House from New Richmond whose 88th District represented the half of Clermont County outside her district plus Brown and Adams Counties to the east. Schmidt told The Cincinnati Enquirer "The fear from many of the people I meet is that because the next senator will come from Clermont County, they will be underrepresented. But if you know anything about me, I don't under-represent anybody." She also said she worried about the state budget: "We do have a history of overspending in Ohio. But it's not just recent history. It's a 40-year-old habit." The Cincinnati Enquirer was dismayed by advertisements from the Ohio Taxpayers Association "twisting the two candidates' voting records to Schmidt's advantage" and endorsed Niehaus. [17]

Schmidt had endorsements from key state leaders such as Ohio State Treasurer Joe Deters and Speaker of the Ohio House Larry Householder. The campaign was marred by allegations Householder's staff had improperly tried to obtain Niehaus's withdrawal from the race and that Household had told Niehaus's supporters to donate money to Schmidt's campaign.[18] In the initial count of the Republican primary vote on March 2, 2004 she lead by just 62 votes. A recount was automatically ordered, which reversed the outcome. Schmidt ultimately lost by just twenty-two votes: 17,076 (49.97%) to Niehaus's 17,098 (50.03%). She told The Cincinnati Enquirer on election night "This is the way my whole life has been—one tough race after another."[19]

Seeks Seat in Congress

Primary campaign

Launches campaign

When President George W. Bush nominated Second District Congressman Rob Portman to be United States Trade Representative on March 17, 2005, eleven Republicans entered the race for his seat. (Portman continued to serve until his resignation on April 29).

Schmidt launched her campaign for Congress in Montgomery on April 11, the first candidate from outside Hamilton County to declare. She emphasized the need for all parts of the district to be represented: "We must always balance the interests of Hamilton County, which is more urban, with those of the more rural part of our district." She said of her predecessor Rob Portman, "While I know that I cannot fill Rob's shoes, I know that I am the right person to continue the tradition of leadership and character." Early polling showed Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine leading 42 %, with Schmidt tied for third at 7 %. [20]

Schmidt runs as a conservative

In her campaign, she ran on a conservative platform. In one mailing to voters, she promised to "reduce our taxes", "keep our nation safe", advocated "a responsible energy policy", and for "promoting family values." The tag line on the mailer was "continuing a tradition of character and leadership."

Schmidt's campaign literature noted her pro-life voting record, her opposition to gay marriage, her high ratings from the National Rifle Association, and that she "opposes an activist court system that acts against our conservative values." The literature also featured her endorsement by Phil Fulton, a pastor who fought the court ordered removal of tablets containing the Ten Commandments from the grounds of schools in Adams County. Fulton was quoted in a Schmidt mailing:

Jean has stood strong in our 10 Commandments fight and all the moral issues that concern the people of Adams County. As a member of the 10 Commandments Committee and a pastor for 30 years, I support her wholeheartedly.

Criticized on taxes

Schmidt was criticized in ads paid for by the Club for Growth , the Washington, D.C.-based group associated with Grover Norquist which campaigns for lower taxes and actively works for the defeat of Republicans it considers insufficiently conservative, such as Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. "Jean Schmidt is a proven supporter of higher taxes. Her record in the Ohio State Legislature shows that she voted to raise the state sales tax and opposed efforts to keep property taxes down," said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey.[21] The Club's ads noted Schmidt had voted in favor of Governor Taft's 20 % increase in the state sales tax and increases in the state budget. The Club compared her unfavorably to rival Tom Brinkman, who was hailed in the ad as "Honest. Conservative. Leader."

The Ohio Taxpayers Association disputed the Club's ad. Its president told The Cincinnati Enquirer that Schmidt had "a pretty good record" in Columbus and that the OTA's political action committee had endorsed her.[22] Schmidt explained her vote in an interview with The Enquirer in February 2004:

I understood that it is our responsibility to not only balance the budget but to make sure the citizens of Ohio have the adequate services to meet their needs. And toward that end, I did the responsible thing. I voted for the budget, because constitutionally we had to have a balanced budget.[23]

Personalities an issue in the primary

A major factor in the primary campaign was rival Pat DeWine's marriage. In 2004, DeWine had faced incumbent John Dowlin in the March primary for the Republican nomination to be Hamilton County commissioner. Dowlin had ran ads calling attention to DeWine leaving his pregnant wife and their two children for a mistress working as a lobbyist. Though Dowlin lost, the issue was resurrected by DeWine's rivals in 2005. Schmidt made it a point in her stump speech to emphasize how long she had been married to her husband: "I am a woman of character who has been married for twenty-nine years." [24] Many voters agreed with the critics. A letter from Jeffrey S. Learman of Warren County's Deerfield Township published in The Pulse-Journal [25] on June 9 stated "If Pat DeWine would betray those closest to him—his wife and children—then no one, especially constituents whom he has never met, is safe from his treachery. Pat DeWine is unfit for public office, even that of dog catcher." The Anderson Township Republican Club heard all eleven candidates for the nomination speak on June 1 and voted to declare only Schmidt and Tom Brinkman "highly qualified" while rating DeWine "not qualified at this time." [26]

Endorsements in the primary

Schmidt won the endorsement of The Cincinnati Enquirer, which has a Republican editorial position. The paper saluted her record in the Ohio House and her fifteen year record "learning local and regional issues." The paper said Schmidt was what the Second District needed, someone who "advocates for and serves all parts of the district, finds creative solutions, builds coalitions, and keeps a common touch," echoing the promise she made in announcing her campaign. Howard Wilkinson of The Enquirer wrote that Schmidt and McEwen "have been the most aggressive in courting the Christian conservative 'moral values' voters," tactics which led the Dayton Daily News, which has a Democratic editorial position, to lament "an absolutely mad race to the right" and "it feels like this contest is about who's going to represent right to life and evangelical churches."

Wins the nomination

Despite being far outspent by DeWine and McEwen, on June 14, 2005, Schmidt finished first in the field of eleven in the Republican primary. In unofficial final returns, Schmidt received 14,232 votes (31.4%); second place went to Robert D. McEwen who had 11,565 votes (25.5%). Pat DeWine, who had spent about $1 million in his campaign, finished fourth: 5,455 votes (20.3%). [27]

Two days after the primary, The Cincinnati Enquirer's Jim Borgman commented on DeWine's marriage being such a factor in the Republican primary with a cartoon showing Schmidt asking Paul Hackett, the Democratic nominee, "You have a good marriage. I have a good marriage. What the heck are we going to campaign about?" [28]

Special general election

Running in a Republican district

Schmidt faced Democratic nominee Paul Hackett, described by The New York Times as six foot four and "garrulous, profane, and quick with a barked retort or a mischievous joke" in the August 2, 2005, special election. Hackett had organized the recall of a councilman in Milford in 1995 and was elected to the council in his place, serving three years. He had also just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and played up his military service in the campaign.

The district was a Republican one. In 2004, 64 % of the vote in the presidential election went to George W. Bush. Rob Portman never got less than 70 % of the vote in his campaigns, no Democrat had got more than 38 % since Thomas A. Luken's narrow loss to Willis D. Gradison in 1974, and no Democrat had won the district in a regular general election since John J. Gilligan in 1964. (Luken held the seat in 1974 after winning a special election to replace William J. Keating, who resigned, but lost the November election for a full term.) Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report said the Second District was the fifty-seventh most Republican in America.

John Green, a political science professor at the University of Akron in northeast Ohio told USA Today "It's a real steep uphill climb for him. It is such a Republican district." Jane S. Anderson, an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati who has unsuccessfully run for the Cincinnati city council and the Ohio House as a Democrat, told the Associated Press

It's definitely worth it to the Democrats to put in the effort if only to keep the party energized. Even if Paul Hackett loses, it is very important for the party for him to do well. It could be seen as a sign of opportunities for Democrats in other GOP strongholds.

Martin Gottlieb of the Dayton Daily News wrote a Republican landslide in the district was "a self-fulfilling prophecy":

It is so overwhelmingly Republican that Democrats typically don't make a real effort as a party. A candidate puts himself up, but generally it's somebody who has no political strengths and gets no financial contributions or volunteer help to speak of. The campaign gets little attention. And the prophecy gets fulfilled.

Schmidt's independence and ethics attacked

Schmidt was criticized by Hackett as a "rubber stamp" for Ohio Governor Bob Taft's "failed policies". Hackett claimed she would continue in that role for George W. Bush if elected. At their debate at Chatfield College, Hackett said "If you think America is on the right track and we need more of the same, I'm not your candidate" and asked "Are you better off today than you were five years ago?", echoing Ronald Reagan's question in his debate with Jimmy Carter in 1980. "Rubber stamp" was Hackett's catchphrase throughout the campaign. Hackett even appeared in front of the Hathaway Rubber Stamp store in downtown Cincinnati on July 27 to emphasize the point. "If you think America needs another career politician steeped in a culture of corruption who does as she's told and toes the line on failed policies, then I'm not your candidate," he wrote in a guest column for The Cincinnati Post. However, Schmidt was proud to be associated with Bush, sending campaign mail with a photograph of them together in the Oval Office.

A month before the election the inspector general of the Ohio General Assembly announced he was investigating three legislators for accepting gifts and failing to report them. Schmidt was implicated in this, but could not be investigated because she was no longer a member of the Ohio house. (The others were Representatives Jim Raussen of Springdale, Michelle G. Schneider of Madeira, and Diana M. Fessler of New Carlisle.) On October 24, 2004, the legislators had accepted dinner at Nicola's Ristorante on Sycamore Street in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and Cincinnati Bengals tickets from a lobbyist for pharmaceutical company Chiron, Richard B. Colby. Schmidt said she thought the gifts were from former Bengals player Boomer Esiason, who was, like Chiron, interested in cystic fibrosis. Esiason was attempting to gain support for a task force on the disease and a month later Schmidt cosponsored enabling legislation. Hackett on June 12 went to the restaurant to call attention to Schmidt's ethics. "What will she do in Washington when she's around real big money?" Hackett asked.

Schmidt repaid the lobbyist for the cost of the entertainment. Her spokesman told The Columbus Dispatch "Jean specifically asked if this was a reportable gift. We immediately corrected it by paying the full price of the tickets." Her former colleague Raussen blamed Colby. "Here we have a lobbyist who was extremely sloppy."

Hackett hammered on Schmidt's ethics. When she denied she knew or ever met Thomas Noe, the coin dealer at the center of a state investment scandal at the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, Hackett produced minutes from a meeting of the Ohio Board of Regents that showed Schmidt had indeed met with Noe, once a member of the Board of Regents. On July 29, the Toledo Blade reported on a 2001 e-mail from Governor Taft's assistant Jon Allison complaining of Schmidt "bugging" him about setting up an Internet lottery for Cincinnati businessman Roger Ach, who gave her a $1,000 contribution the next year. Schmidt spokesman Fritz Wenzel said the candidate did not recall any conversations with the governor about Ach's business.

Few debates

The candidates participated in only two debates. The first was held on July 7 at Chatfield College in St. Martin in Brown County, moderated by Jack Atherton of WXIX-TV, the Fox Network affiliate in Cincinnati. Hackett told the audience his opponent was "a rubber stamp for failed policies" and "if you think America is on the right track and we need more of the same, I'm not your candidate." The second debate was held July 26 at the Ohio Valley Career and Technical School in West Union in Adams County.

Howard Wilkinson of The Cincinnati Enquirer said Hackett in the second debate was "trying to paint Schmidt as a Taft-Bush robot." The two also made joint appearances on WCET-TV's Forum on July 28 and WKRC-TV's Newsmakers on July 31.

Both candidates wealthy

The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a front page story on July 2 reporting on the candidates financial disclosure statements that revealed both were millionaires. Schmidt was worth between $1,700,000 and $6,800,000, most of her wealth in the form of a real estate company owned with her three siblings, RTJJ, LLC. Hackett was worth between $650,000 and $1,600,000. (These figures did not include the value of either's home. The Clermont County Auditor valued Schmidt's home on two-thirds of an acre at $138,510 and the Hamilton County Auditor valued Hackett's home on five acres at $552,800.)

Schmidt used her own wealth in the campaign. She told The Cincinnati Post the week before the election she put $200,000 of her money in the campaign that she had planned to use to buy a condominium in Florida. Hackett told The Enquirer, "I'm a self-made guy. I didn't inherit it. I didn't marry for it. What you see is what I made in the last decade." The paper noted the median household income in the district was $46,813.

Schmidt widely endorsed

Schmidt won the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, which frustrated her opponent, a long-time NRA member. Schmidt also won the endorsements of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Southern Ohio Board of Realtors, the Ohio Taxpayers Association, the Ohio Small Business PAC, the Ohio Farm Bureau, the National Homebuilders Association, and the Fraternal Order of Police Queen City Lodge #69.

On the issues

Environment

Both candidates talked of the environment. Schmidt called for reducing America's dependence on foreign oil by increasing use of ethanol and drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which Hackett opposed. Schmidt told The Cincinnati Post "What's really important is to adopt an environmental policy that advances the American economy and national security. I supported the energy bill recently passed by the U.S. House that will expand the use of alternative energy sources and additives like ethanol."

Taxes and spending

Schmidt supported the tax cuts championed by President George W. Bush, which Hackett opposed. Schmidt called for additional changes to the Internal Revenue Code, such as adopting a flat tax and repealing the estate and capital gains taxes. Schmidt also professed to be a fiscal conservative, as did her opponent, but, The New York Times wrote, Schmidt "offers no plans for closing the federal deficit other than trimming 'unnecessary pork' and bureaucratic inefficiency." A mailing sent to voters listed four examples of "wasteful spending in Washington", which included "$45,000 to buy gold plated playing cards for Air Force Two!" and "$1.2 million to study the breeding habits of a woodchuck!"

Abortion

Schmidt was strongly pro-life—when she launched her candidacy, she was president of the Right-to-Life of Greater Cincinnati. Hackett said the government had no right to come between women and their doctors on the issue of abortion. At the Chatfield College debate, Schmidt said Roe v. Wade was "a flawed law made by activist judges" and would "love to see" it reversed. Schmidt mailed literature to voters with an endorsement from Paula Westwood, executive director of the Cincinnati right-to-life:

Jean's legislative experience is invaluable to Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati's efforts and goals for the coming years. But more importantly, she has a tenacious devotion to the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death already demonstrated in her political and private life.

Iraq War

Schmidt made the Iraq War an issue in the race. She declared on WCET-TV's Forum that "9/11 was a wakeup call. We lost our innocence" and praised the Bush foreign policy. "The foundation of democracy that has been planted in Afghanistan and Iraq", she said, has inspired reforms in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and elsewhere. At the Chatfield College debate on July 7, she said of Iraq and Saddam Hussein "We have toppled a terrorist regime, a terrorist madman who now sits in a prison cell. This country has gone to the ballot box and made its decision to become a democratic regime."

Schmidt always appeared in public with a button in her lapel containing a photograph of Matt Maupin, the only prisoner of war of the Iraq campaign and a native of Clermont County. Hackett did not mince words about Iraq or President Bush. He told The New York Times Bush was "a chicken hawk" for pursuing the war after having avoided active duty military service in the Vietnam War.

National attention on the race

Hackett attracted national attention to what had always been considered a safe Republican district. The New York Times ran a front-page story on him and articles appeared in USA Today and The Washington Post. USA Today wrote "if Democrats could design a dream candidate to capitalize on national distress about the war in Iraq, he would look a lot like the tall, telegenic Marine Reserve major who finished a seven-month tour of Iraq in March."

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the official Republican Party body that helps candidates for the United States House of Representatives, announced on July 28 it was spending $265,000 for television ads in the Cincinnati market, covering the western part of the district, and $250,000 for ads in the Huntington, West Virginia, market, covering the eastern half. Carl Forti told The Cincinnati Enquirer "we decided to bury him" after Hackett told USA Today, in a story published that morning, "I don't like the son-of-a-bitch that lives in the White House but I'd put my life on the line for him." Forti said the NRCC had "no concern that she will lose. She will not lose."

The NRCC ran commercials noting Hackett had voted for tax increases while on the Milford council and quoting his statement on his website that he would be "happy" to pay higher taxes. The NRCC was silent about Schmidt's own votes to raise taxes, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the NRCC's counterpart, was not. The DCCC responded with commercials noting that Schmidt had voted to raise the sales tax by 20 % and the excise tax on gasoline by 30 % when she was in the legislature. A mailing to voters by the DCCC reiterated these statements under the headline "Who Voted for the Taft Sales Tax Increase—the Largest in Ohio History?" and asked "can we trust Jean Schmidt to protect middle-class families in Washington?"

Local endorsements

The Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes [29], a Cincinnati-based group founded by Tom Brinkman (who lost the GOP primary to Schmidt), began running ads in the last week of July urging voters to skip the election. COAST's president, Jim Urling, told The Cincinnati Enquirer that this might help elect Hackett, but "we think it will be easier to remove a Democrat next year than an incumbent Republican posing as a conservative."

In the general election, the Democratic Dayton Daily News endorsed Hackett. The Daily News said Schmidt's attacks on Senators R. Michael DeWine and George V. Voinovich—Schmidt asked in the campaign "what kind of men do we have in Washington representing us right now? One refuses to back the president and the other is crying on national television"—were "remarkably classless" and "seemed to be saying that voters who like legislators who exercise occasional independence from their party should not vote for her."

The Cincinnati Post also endorsed Hackett. It noted Schmidt is the latest in a line of "Republican patricians" and "likely to be a dependable vote for the Bush administration." The Cincinnati Enquirer, a Republican paper, wrote Hackett "is an attractive candidate with many qualities to admire" but endorsed Schmidt. The Enquirer conceded Schmidt "has a troubling tendency to offer superficial answers on issues she may not have carefully studied. Some of her comments can lack tact, and she relies too often on anecdotal evidence to prove a point," but endorsed her strongly:

Schmidt knows the district very well, having almost a "file-card" memory to recall details about people, places and issues she's had experience with on the local level . . . she's a quick learner who knows how to make deals and get things done. Even in her relatively short time in Columbus, she proved effective in passing legislation to address her district's concerns.[30]

General election results

Schmidt won by a narrow margin, 3.5 %, the worst showing of any Republican in the district since 1974, but which made her the second Republican woman elected to Congress from Ohio in her own right and the first woman to represent southwestern Ohio in Congress. (She was the fourth Republican woman, following Frances Payne Bolton, elected in 1940, and Jean Spencer Ashbrook, elected in 1982, both sent to Washington in special elections to replace their deceased husbands, and Deborah Pryce, elected in her own right in 1992.) Schmidt in her victory speech late on election night declared

We began this race way back in late March, and no one had thought we'd be the focus of the national media or be the so-called first test of the Republican Party and the Bush mandate. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we passed that test.

Howard Wilkinson wrote in The Cincinnati Enquirer the morning after the election "the fact that Paul Hackett made it a very close election is nothing short of astounding . . . com[ing] close to pulling off a monumental political upset." Hackett won in the eastern, rural counties of Pike, Scioto, Brown, and Adams, while Schmidt won in the populous western counties of Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren. The Cincinnati Post editorialized Hackett's success in the eastern counties was in part from "the increasingly desperate struggle in rural areas to provide enough decent jobs for those who want them."

These are the final unofficial results, with all 753 precincts reporting, as tabulated by the Hamilton County Board of Elections and The Cincinnati Enquirer. These numbers have not been certified and are subject to change.

Candidate	Party	Hamilton	Warren	Clermont	Brown	Adams	Scioto	Pike	Totals	Percent
Jean Schmidt	Republican	25,048	7,556	17,320	3,100	1,911	2,638	1,559	59,132	51.74 (Elected)
Paul Hackett	Democratic	23,657	5,420	12,439	3,950	2,101	4,925	2,659	55,151	48.25
James J. Condit Jr.									10	0.01
James E. Constable Jr.									3	<0.005
Total									114,296	100

Both parties claim victory

Following the election, many Democrats hailed the election as showing the weakness of Ohio's Republican party, which has been in control of Ohio state government for a decade, and public unhappiness with President Bush's policies. Hamilton County Democratic chairman Timothy Burke was delighted. "Paul was very critical of this president in a district that Bush carried easily last November, yet she barely hung on to win. There's a clear signal in that," he told The Cincinnati Post on election night. The Clermont County Democratic chairman, Dave Lane, told the Dayton Daily News "Here we are in the reddest of red districts and it was very, very close."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee claimed in a press release Hackett's strong showing meant trouble for Senator Mike DeWine's reelection campaign in 2006, especially since his son Pat had lost the Republican primary for the seat. "If Ohio is a bellwether state for next year's midterm elections, things don't look too good for the Republicans", claimed the DSCC. Republicans said the election meant nothing of the sort. "There is no correlation between what happens in a special election, where turnout is very low and you have circumstances that just aren't comparable to an election that happens on an Election Day in an election year," Brian Nick of the National Republican Senatorial Committee told The Cincinnati Post.

The Columbus Dispatch referred to "the trauma of barely winning a Congressional district long dominated by Republicans" and quoted an anonymous source in the Republican party claiming "there is not a tougher environment in the country than Ohio right now. There is kind of a meltdown happening." Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report told the Dispatch "Ohio becomes the microcosm for the debate Democrats are trying to have nationally" and Democrats would argue in future campaigns "'See what happens when one party rules too long, see what happens with corruption and insider influence.'" Her boss, Charlie Cook, told The Los Angeles Times Hackett's "rubber stamp" charge had resonated with Ohio voters.

Peter W. Bronson, a conservative columnist for The Cincinnati Enquirer, wrote "Hackett's surprising finish was less a repudiation of Bush than a repudiation of Ohio Governor Bob Taft, whose name is now officially radioactive poison." Bronson admitted Hackett "ran a strong campaign" but said he did so well only because of "the ugly primary" on the Republican side, fears that Schmidt was "another Taft RINO" (i.e. "Republican in name only"), and apathy by Republican voters, not dissatisfaction with Bush or Republicans in general.

John Nichols of the Madison Capital Times in Wisconsin saw it differently. "The district had been so radically gerrymandered by Republican governors and legislators that it was all but unrecognizable that a Democrat could ever be competitive there" and Hackett, "a smart telegenic Iraq war veteran," had been "swift-boated" in the final days of the campaign by Republican operatives and "right-wing talk hosts" such as Rush Limbaugh.

Mark Steyn, a conservative British columnist who writes for National Review magazine, wrote in the Irish Times "Paul Hackett was like a fast-forward version of the John Kerry campaign" who "artfully neglected to mention the candidate was a Democrat." Steyn claimed any Democrat efforts to present Hackett's run as a success for the party were absurd.

One voter turned off by the campaign was veteran Arthur Smith of Loveland, whose letter to the editor in The Cincinnati Enquirer on August 5, said Hackett

attempted to fool the voters by masking the stench of his liberalism, using President Bush and the uniform of the military as a deodorant . . . I voted for the tax-raising Schmidt but had to hold my nose to do it. I figured it was the lesser of the two evils.

Enters Congress

Schmidt was sworn in as a member of Congress by Speaker J. Dennis Hastert on the evening of September 6, 2005. (Ordinarily, representatives chosen in special elections take office immediately, but the House was in its August recess at the time of the eleciton.) In her maiden speech, Schmidt said

I stand here today in the same shoes, though with a slightly higher heel, as thousands of Members who have taken the same oath before me. I am mindful of what is expected of me both by this hallowed institution and the hundreds of thousands of Americans I am blessed to represent. I am the lowest-ranking Member of this body, the very bottom rung of the ladder; and I am privileged to hold that title. . .

I pledge to walk in the shoes of my colleagues and refrain from name-calling or the questioning of character. It is easy to quickly sink to the lowest form of political debate. Harsh words often lead to headlines, but walking this path is not a victimless crime. This great House pays the price.

So at this moment, I begin my tenure in this Chamber, uncertain of what history will say of my tenure here. I come here green with only a desire to make our great country even greater. We have much work to do. In that spirit, I pledge to each of you that any disagreements we may have are just that and no more. Walking in each other's shoes takes effort and pause; however, it is my sincere hope that I never lose the patience to view each of you as human beings first, God's creatures, and foremost. I deeply appreciate this opportunity to serve with each of you. I very much look forward to getting to know you better. [31]

See also

• Ohio Second Congressional District Election, 2005
• Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 2nd District

External links

• Schmidt's official U.S. House web-site
• Official Bioguide entry
• Schmidt campaign official site
• League of Women Voters page on the race

References

• "A bellwether again". (Editorial) The Cincinnati Post. August 3, 2005. 16A. (Hackett's success in rural areas)
• "Best Democrat in 2nd race is Paul Hackett". (Editorial) Dayton Daily News. June 3, 2005. A12. (Endorsement)
• "Anderson Twp. GOP gives top rating to pair". The Cincinnati Enquirer. June 2, 2005. [32] (Schmidt endorsed by Anderson GOP)
• Andrews, Cindi. "Poll has DeWine as GOP favorite". The Cincinnati Enquirer. (Early poll results) April 5, 2005. [33]
• Bronson, Peter. "OK, Hackett's a veteran--and . . . ?" The Cincinnati Enquirer. August 4, 2005. C11. (Bronson on why Hackett did so well)
• Brownstein, Ronald. "All political eyes again turn to Ohio". The Los Angeles Times. August 4, 2005. 8. (Charlie Cook's remark)
• Budd, Lawrence. "Schmidt prevails in race for 2nd District seat." Dayton Daily News. August 3, 2005. A4. (Dave Lane's comments)
• Budd, Lawrence. "Schmidt's win in primary brought GOP base together: Candidate turns focus to raising funds to win seat". Dayton Daily News. July 25, 2005. B4.
• "Candidate Q&A: Ohio 14th District state Senate seat". The Cincinnati Enquirer. February 18, 2004. [34] (Interview with Schmidt in 2004)
• "A cloud of smoke" (Editorial). The Cincinnati Post. March 13, 2004. [35]
• Collins, Michael. "Dems: DeWine in trouble". The Cincinnati Post. August 6, 2005. [36] (Democratic party claims this is a sign of Republican troubles ahead)
• Craig, Jon. "Meal, tickets not reported". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 9, 2005. 1A. (Investigators looking at legislators)
• "Concealed carry rules". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 8, 2004. [37] (Legislation passes)
• Dao, James. "A Veteran of Iraq Running in Ohio Is Harsh On Bush". The New York Times. July 27, 2005. A1. (Schmidt and Hackett profiled)
• "Endorsements in GOP legislative races" (editorial). The Cincinnati Enquirer. February 29, 2004 (Enquirer endorses Niehaus)[38]
• Gottlieb, Martin. "Hackett tests 2nd's Republicanism". Dayton Daily News. July 29, 2005. A10. (Usual landslides in district)
• Hackett, Paul. "Hackett: No Rubber Stamp". The Cincinnati Post. July 23, 2005. A13. (States his views in an opinion piece)
• "Hackett offers 2nd District fresher voice". (Editorial). Dayton Daily News. July 27, 2005. A8. (Endorsement of Hackett)
• Horstman, Barry M. "Debate shows sharp divide". The Cincinnati Post. July 8, 2005. A12. (First debate at Chatfield College) [39]
• Horstman, Barry M. "Hackett on attack in race: He sets sights on Schmidt". The Cincinnati Post. June 24, 2005. [40]
• Horstman, Barry M. "A race of a different sort". The Cincinnati Post. July 30, 2005. A1. (Schmidt's condo money)
• Horstman, Barry M.. "Schmidt wins in a squeaker." The Cincinnati Post. August 3, 2005. 1A.
• Jasper, Debra. "Excited freshmen plan bills". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 12, 2000. [41]
• Kemme, Steve. "District changes benefit suburbs". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 24, 2001. (Redistricting for 2002 election)[42]
• Kemme, Steve. "62-vote difference means a recount in state Senate". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 3, 2005. (Narrow margin in primary against Niehaus)[43]
• Leaf, Nathan. "Tougher law on killer sentencing sought in Ohio". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 14, 2002.[44]
• Lyle, Troy. "Hackett calls for an Ohio River cleanup". The Cincinnati Post. July 1, 2005. A10. (Environmental views of the candidates) [45]
• Ludlow, Randy. "Ohio moves to end double dipping". The Cincinnati Post. February 9, 2001. [46]
• McCain, Marie. "New Clermont clerk job on way". The Cincinnati Enquirer. June 30, 2003.[47]
• Nichols, John. "Ohio Vote Should Light Fire Under Dems." Madison Capital Times. (Madison, Wisconsin). August 4, 2005. 12A.
• "Ohio House -- 71st District". (Editorial) The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 19, 2000. 14A. (Paper endorses her first run for State House)
• Penix, Len. "Clermont Commission Ready to Fill Vacant Seat". The Cincinnati Post. February 12, 1991. 5A.
• Penix, Len. "Marathoner runs for state office". The Cincinnati Post. March 23, 2000. 2. (Turned down appointment because of daughter)
• Penix, Len. "Miami Panel Backs Change: Incorporation Recommended." The Cincinnati Post. March 4, 1993. 3.
• Penix, Len. "Miami trustee visits Russia". The Cincinnati Post. September 28, 1995. 1.
• Penix, Len. "Townships seek to fill trustee positions: Departing leaders need replacements". The Cincinnati Post. November 22, 2000. 2. (Duckworth salutes Schmidt)
• Riskind, Jonathan. "Narrow Victory Underscores GOP's Rocky Road in Ohio". The Columbus Dispatch. August 7, 2005. 5B. (Amy Walter and anonymous quotes, "trauma")
• Rulon, Malia. "Schmidt, Hackett don't see own wealth as issue". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 2, 2005. A1. [48]
• Rulon, Maria. "Schmidt chips in another $20K in home stretch." The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 2, 2005 [49]
• Sandy Theis and Ted Wendling. "Ex-judge to examine fund-raising allegations House speaker’s actions to be included in review". The Plain Dealer. March 11, 2004. B1. (Allegations of improprieties by Householder)
• "Schmidt for Congress: Republican offers better experience, fit for 2nd District." (Editorial). The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 31, 2005. E1. (Endorses Schmidt)[50]
• "2nd District Candidates". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 29, 2005. C2. (Profiles of all the candidates)
• Siegel, Jim. ""Four Face Ethics Probe: Lawmakers didn't report football tickets, dinner from biotech firm, inspector says". The Columbus Dispatch. July 8, 2005. 1B.[51]
• "A special election". (Editorial). The Cincinnati Post. July 26, 2005. A12. (Endorses Hackett) [52] [53]
• Steyn, Mark. "Bush is running rings around Democrats, who get flabbier by the week." Irish Times. August 8, 2005. 9. (Criticizes attempts by Democrats to paint race as victory)
• Wehrman, Jessica. "GOP winner Schmidt sticks to schedule: Outdistances high-profile foes in crowded field." Dayton Daily News. June 16, 2005. 1B. (Primary results, 57th most GOP district)
• Wehrman, Jessica. "GOP's Schmidt has more cash than foe Hackett: Leads Democrat in 2nd District money race". Dayton Daily News. July 23, 2005. B4. (Finance reports filed with the FEC)
• Wendling, Ted and Sandy Theis. "Speaker Householder's money-raising approach is called into question". The Plain Dealer February 26, 2004. A1.
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Anti-tax group, liberal PAC airing 'don't vote' message". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 29, 2005 B2.[54]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Candidates toe the line on 'values'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. June 3, 2005. [55].
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Clermont native starts 2nd District bid". The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 12, 2005. (Schmidt launches her campaign)[56]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Debate shows differences". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 8, 2005. B1. (Chatfield College debate)[57]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "DeWine's name helps and hurts". The Cincinnati Enquirer. June 1, 2005. (Primary campaign)[58]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "FOP decries Hackett suit, endorses rival". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 28, 2005. [59]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Gun-toting Hackett still can't win NRA endorsement". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 13, 2005. C2. [60]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "The mud's flying in 2nd Dist. campaign". The Cincinnati Enquirer June 5, 2005. [61]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Schmidt can't recall Ach favor". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 30, 2005 [62]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Schmidt has had lifelong drive to succeed". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 24, 2005. E1, E5. (Profile of Schmidt, information on her family)[63]
• Wilkinson, Howard. "Schmidt rents private jet". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 11, 2005. 2B.
• Wilkinson, Howard, and Malia Rulon. "Money pouring into race: National parties pay attention". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 29, 2005. B1. [64]

	Ohio Congressional Delegation serving in the 109th United States Congress
Senators	Michael DeWine (R), George Voinovich (R)
Representative(s)	Steve Chabot (R), Jean Schmidt (R), Mike Turner (R), Mike Oxley (R), Paul Gillmor (R), Ted Strickland (D), Dave Hobson (R), John Boehner (R), Marcy Kaptur (D), Dennis Kucinich (D), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D), Pat Tiberi (R), Sherrod Brown (D), Steve LaTourette (R), Deborah Pryce (R), Ralph Regula (R), Tim Ryan (D), Bob Ney (R)
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Preceded by: Rob Portman

U.S. Representative from Ohio's 2nd Congressional District 2005-to date

Succeeded by: Incumbent