Saturday, July 25, 2009

2010 ELECTION SERIES - THE 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: WHO MIGHT BE RUNNING AGAINST INCUMBENT JOHN BOCCIERI? PHIL KIKO?


Last week the SCPR got a call from a leading Stark County Republican who shared some names of Republicans who are looking at challenging Congressman John Boccieri in November, 2010.

In another conversation with Kirk Schuring (Republican - Ohio Senate - 29th), the SCPR was told that the chances of Schuring running are "between slim and none and Slim just left town."

An intriguing name that came up in the first conversation was Phil Kiko. Yours truly asked: you mean the well-know Canton Kiko family? The answer: "those Kikos."

The caller went on the explain that this potential candidate against Boccieri is now an attorney located in Washington, D.C., where he took up work in the Justice Department after graduating from a Washington area law school.

The Report went out and looked up a bunch of information about Kiko and rather than repeat that information here, here are some links for you to click on to find out more about the possible candidate:
Credential wise, this guy is impressive. But being a full blown lobbyist might be fodder for the Boccieri forces to use in a head-to-head campaign.

One has to wonder why his name didn't surface in 2008?

On Sunday and Monday, the SCPR will publish a similar introductory piece on two other individuals who are considering getting into the race.

As the campaign progresses, the SCPR will be right on top of the inside story of who which Republican will end up as the Republican National Campaign Committee (RNCC) candidate for the 16th.

In the opinion of the SCPR Boccieri will be both more vulnerable and less vulnerable. More defeatable in the sense of having a voting record, if the challenger can use the record to separate some "independent" voters from Boccieri.

Less like to lose in the sense that Boccieri as an incumbent is building up a campaign war chest from sources that weren't up to supporting him prior to his election to the House and Boccieri voting their way. Morover, he gets opportunities for publicity on his work in Congress that are not available to challengers.

No matter who the Republican nominee is, the odds do not favor taking out incumbent Democrat John Boccieri. Any chance that the Republicans to reclaim this seat is probably in the 2010 election. If Boccieri wins in 2010, then it gets progressively more difficult to unseat him in succeeding elections.

Although the SCPR does not believe the report that Boccieri is considering abandoning Congress to run for lieutenant governor of Ohio as Ted Strickland's running mate, stranger things have happened in politics.

A challengers correct or incorrect assessment of Boccieri's future political plans could loom large in this race.

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