DeWine Statement on Latta Victory in OH-5

(Columbus) - Ohio Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine issued the following statement regarding Bob Latta's victory in the 5th Congressional District special election:

Ted, Ted, Ted.  This looks like a whole Latta votes against the governor and his so-called popularity.

This is a humiliating defeat for Ted Strickland.  He dumped his political capital on the Democrat candidate, and she lost by a greater margin than her 2006 race.  It turns out the governor's popularity is a mile wide and an inch deep.  Strickland carried this district himself a year ago, but he clearly couldn't deliver it for Robin Weirauch.

Democrats talked a big game on this one and even called it a bellwether for 2008.  Looks like they might be eating those words right now.  They gave this race everything they had, from the deep pockets of Big Labor to the star power of Barack Obama and John Edwards, and they failed miserably.

They'll try to spin this as a victory because they supposedly forced us to spend resources we didn't have.  Actually, we planned on spending those extra resources because special elections are notoriously unpredictable and no seat is safe in a mid-December turnout effort.

This is an encouraging win that shows our party is strong and energized heading into an important presidential election year.