Ken Blackwell

File:KenBlackwell.jpg

John Kenneth Blackwell, Secretary of State, Ohio.

John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1948), currently serves as the secretary of state for the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, he is the front-runner for his party's nomination for Governor of Ohio in the 2006 election. Blackwell gained national prominence because of his controversial actions in matters relating to the voting on November 2, 2004, including that for the U.S. Presidency and for state and county offices. He also actively led a successful campaign in 2004 for a State Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Early years

Blackwell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to George (a meatpacker) and Dana (a part-time nurse) Blackwell in 1948. He married his wife Rosa in 1969 while he was in college. They have three children, Kimberly, Rahshann and Kristin.

Blackwell received a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1970 and his master of education degree, also from Xavier, in 1971. He taught at Xavier from 1974 to 1991 and has served as a trustee of Wilberforce University and Wilmington College. Blackwell's ability to play football allowed him to attend Xavier on an athletic scholarship. After college, he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys professional football club to play guard but he left the team before the season began. [1]

Political career

From 1979 to 1980, Blackwell, an African American, served as mayor of Cincinnati as a member of the Charter Party. As mayor and as a member of the Cincinnati, Ohio, city council, Blackwell was at times a Democrat and also a member of the Charter Party; however, he switched to the Republican party at some point during the 1980s.

Blackwell served in the administration of President George H.W. Bush as undersecretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1989 to 1990, when he returned to Cincinnati to run for the First District seat in the United States House of Representatives being vacated by Tom Luken. Blackwell lost to the retiring Luken's son Charlie Luken. Following his defeat, President Bush appointed Blackwell ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Blackwell served in that post from 1992 to 1993.

Blackwell was appointed Ohio State Treasurer by then-Gov. George Voinovich in 1994 to complete the term of Mary Ellen Withrow, who was appointed U.S. treasurer by President Bill Clinton. Blackwell was elected treasurer in 1994 and was elected Ohio secretary of state in 1998. That year, Blackwell considered a run for governor, but Ohio Republican Party chairman Robert T. Bennett persuaded Blackwell to run for secretary of state instead, leaving the governorship open to Bob Taft. In 2000, Blackwell supported the candidacy of Malcolm S. "Steve" Forbes Jr. for the Republican nomination for president. Blackwell was re-elected secretary of state in 2002.

Blackwell, a strict fiscal and social conservative, has become a vocal critic of the moderate wing of the Ohio Republican Party, including Gov. Bob Taft, for adopting tax increases in the face of budget shortfalls in recent years. He has also demanded the resignation of Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican, whose staff has become embroiled in fund-raising scandals.

In 2004, Blackwell served as the co-chair of the Committee to Re-elect George W. Bush in Ohio. He was also the most prominent Republican to support adding a marriage amendment to the state constitution. The state's Republican U.S. Senators R. Michael DeWine and George V. Voinovich opposed the amendment's broad language, fearing it could bar not only same-sex marriage but also civil unions, domestic partnerships, and possibly wills and any legal contracts for homosexuals. Republican Governor Taft later also came out against the amendment, expressing his concern that its ambiguous language would have unintended consequences and leave the state open to a number of lawsuits. During the campaign Blackwell lobbied hard for this measure and was widely credited with attracting many conservative evangelical African Americans to the polls to vote for the measure and for Bush's re-election.

After the 2004 election, he was criticized for having laid the groundwork for a gubernatorial campaign by sending a fundraising letter that solicited corporate contributions, which are illegal in Ohio. A Blackwell campaign officer blamed the printer for the mistake.

Though there has been some speculation that Blackwell might try for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, some consider him "a bit of a long shot" (Ross 2004).

2006 Ohio Gubernatorial Campaign

Main article: Ohio gubernatorial election, 2006

Campaign and National Significance

Blackwell is a candidate for Governor in 2006. April 2006 polls show Blackwell leading in the Republican primary race vs. Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro by seven points (The current governor, Republican Bob Taft can not run due to term limits). However, nearly one quarter of those questioned were undecided thus leaving the fate of the May 2nd primaries uncertain. [2] Additionally, Blackwell's campaign is tied or slightly behind in the general election vs. Congressman Ted Strickland, who is the leading Democratic candidate. However, he performs better than Petro against Strickland in the same polls. Blackwell chose Ohio State Representative Tom Raga to be his running mate in the May 2 primary.

As a reflection of Ohio's reputation for being a crucial and tenuous state for control by political parties, there has been increased national attention on the ability of the Republican party to maintain control over Ohio. The New York Times went even so far as to suggest that the results of the election would be a "bellwether" for the 2008 US presidential election. [3] As a result, Blackwell has received a number of high-profile endorsements from Republican politicians around the United States including Jeb Bush, John McCain, Jack Kemp and Newt Gingrich. [4] Further increasing the stakes, the state of Ohio has reported that 630,000 more voters are eligible to vote in the 2006, as compared to the previous one in 2002. [5]

Blackwell has been criticized by his Repubican competition, Jim Petro, for refusing to engage in three planned debates which had been organized by the Dayton Daily News and the City Club of Cleveland. The debate at the City Club of Cleveland occured on April 25, 2006, despite Blackwell's absence. The event was originally scheduled to be broacast on public television around Ohio. [6] Blackwell's campaign manager Carlo LoParo stated that "the focus is on the voters" by way of explanation for Blackwell's disinterest in the debates. [7] [8]

Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) Amendment

A major component of Blackwell's platform is the support of the Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) constitutional amendment on the Ohio ballot in November 2006. The TEL is a fiscally conservative plan which proposes to limit increases in state spending to the inflation rate or the inflation rate plus population growth rate (which ever is higher). Blackwell asserts that the TEL would allow the state to operate on a balanced budget and would end an era of big government spending. Blackwell supported his plan by saying, “state and local government in this state have been spending money like drunken sailors. And, the only difference between them and drunken sailors is that drunken sailors spend their own money." [9] Furthermore, limiting government spending is a popular public sentiment in polls.

Critics of the TEL state that it places a heavy burden on local governments and entities which depend on some level of state funding such as school districts, libraries and universities which have limited or no ability to collect tax dollars to support themselves. [10] This plan has proven very unpopular among local officials. Franklin County GOP Chairman Doug Preisse was quoted saying, "University officials, community officials are complaining that the TEL would tie their hands...they are asking, ‘Why are we telling local officials how to operate?'" [11] On April 26, 2006, 20 Republican mayors of Ohio cities, led by Jerry N. Hruby, mayor of Brecksville, OH, wrote an open letter endorsing Petro over Blackwell, primarily due to their opposition of Blackwell and his TEL proposal. [12] Jim Petro supports a very similar plan that caps spending increases at a fixed 5.5%. [13] Ohio Representative Ross McGregor, a Republican and former businessman said, “it [Blackwell's TEL] shows a lack of business knowledge in the ability to respond to the unknown.” [14]

Campaign Finance Disputes

Blackwell leads the Republican candidates in his ability to raise significant amounts of money for his campaign. He raised $1.09 million between January 31, 2006 and April 12, 2006. This was nearly $800,000 more than his main competition, Jim Petro, but less than the $1.1 million raised by his main Democratic competition, Ted Strickland. 12,000 individuals and businesses have donated this money. [15] [16] Blackwell, along with 14 other candidates, (including Jim Petro and Ted Strickland) were accused by the Ohio Citizen Action group of failing to meet Ohio's campaign contribution law which requires best efforts to disclose the names, addresses, employment status, employer, and place of employment of individuals who donate $100 or more to a political campaign. Blackwell, Petro, and Strickland all received a "B letter grade" from the group for their levels of disclosure. [17]

On April 16, 2006 the Toledo Blade reported that Blackwell has accepted more than $1 million dollars in campaign contributions from "employees of firms seeking business with the statewide offices he's held over the past 12 years." Furthermore, the same organizations donated $1.34 million dollars to the Ohio Republican Party, $1.29 million of which was forwarded directly to Blackwell's campaign fund. Several of the firms which have been awarded contracts from Blackwell's office have also been hired on to his gubernatorial campaign. The investigators argue that the suggestion of quid pro quo based on the actions of contributors raise an issue of a serious conflict of interest. Blackwell's chief Republican competitor, Jim Petro, has responded by demanding that a law which bans political contributors from being awarded state contracts. Blackwell has stated that no illegal activity took place. In response to Petro's call for reform, Blackwell stated "If you are asking me ... 'Am I advocating for campaign spending limits?' No. Never have. Never will.." [18]

Support from religious groups

Blackwell is also well supported by the religous leaders of Ohio both politcally and financially; according to campaign filings, Blackwell has received $25,031 from clergy, nearly four times as much as Petro and more than twenty-seven times as much as Strickland. [19] [20]. However, on January 16, 2006, a group of 31 pastors, lead by Rev. Eric Williams, wrote a 13 page letter to the IRS alleging that Blackwell has enjoyed "special treatment" by two Ohio "mega-churches," World Harvest and Fairfield Christian Church. In the letter the pastors accuse the two organizations of sponsoring at least nine events with Blackwell as the sole invited politician, "partisan voter-registration drives," and distribution of biased voting guides. As the organizations are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations, they are explicitly barred from campaigning for or endorsing candidates. [21]

Secretary of State

Involvement in the 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy

Blackwell's position as Secretary of State of a hotly contested swing state led to his playing a prominent role in the controversy concerning the 2004 U.S. presidential election, both before, during and after the voting on November 2.

As Secretary of State, Blackwell's duties also include the position of Chief Elections Officer, overseeing the elections process for the state. Some claim that this is a direct conflict of interest regarding Blackwell's positions as both the Chief Elections Officer and the co-chair of the Committee to Re-elect George Bush in Ohio (Rappoport 2004).

In September 2004, Blackwell came under fire when his office directed Ohio's county election boards to strictly enforce a rule that requires voter registration cards to be printed on a certain weight of paper. Cards printed on lighter paper, such as newsprint or typing paper, are to be considered applications for a registration and a card is to be sent to that voter to be filled out again and resubmitted.

Democrats alleged that this rule had not previously been enforced and was outdated in the era of computerization serving only to disenfranchise new voters. Blackwell also announced that, in keeping with Ohio State election law, persons who appeared at a polling place to vote but whose registrations could not be confirmed would only be given provisional ballots if they applied for a provisional ballot in the correct precinct.

On October 21, 2004, a U.S. District Court judge, who was adjudicating a complaint regarding Blackwell's decisions on provisional ballots, stated in an order rejecting Blackwell's policy that "Blackwell apparently seeks to accomplish the same result in Ohio in 2004 that occurred in Florida in 2000." Blackwell immediately appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, which reversed the District Court decision.(pdf)

Various individuals and advocacy groups have accused Blackwell of state-wide voter suppression in Ohio, including:

• Failure to process voter registrations
• Uneven voting machine allocation
• Arbitrary and unreasonable exclusionary procedures in provisional ballot counting

(See 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy, vote suppression)

Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary asked Kenneth Blackwell to explain irregularities in the Ohio election in two letters, (pdf) (pdf) and requested his presence at a Public Congressional Hearing. (pdf) He did not attend the hearing, and he responded to the first letter, refusing to comply with their request, noting that he was already responding to requests from the GAO and Department of Justice, the bodies authorized by Congress to assess alleged violations. (pdf)

Keith Olbermann has interviewed Blackwell regarding the 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy. (video)

On December 27, 2004, Kenneth Blackwell requested a protective order to prevent him from being interviewed as part of a court challenge of the presidential vote and fought a subpoena, arguing that the litigation was frivolous.(AP) The lawsuit was dismissed two weeks later.

On April 4, 2006, the Columbus Dispatch reported that Blackwell "owned stock in Diebold, a voting-machine [and ATM] manufacturer, at the same time his office negotiated a deal" with the company. Blackwell was not involved in the negotiations and his investments "were handled by a financial manager without his advice or review." After discovering the stock ownership, Blackwell promptly sold the shares at a loss.[22]

List of legal suits

As Ohio Secretary of State, Blackwell has been a party to many election-related lawsuits.^[23] Some of these include:

• Moss v. Bush
• Beacon Journal Publishing Company, Inc. and Charlene Nevada v. J. Kenneth Blackwell and the Board of Elections
• Lucas County Democratic Party et al v. Blackwell
• The Sandusky County Democratic Party v. J. Kenneth Blackwell
• The League of Women Voters of Ohio et al v. Blackwell
• Miller et al v. Blackwell et al
• Spencer v. Blackwell
• Summit County Democratic Central and Executive Committee et al v. Blackwell et al
• American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. et al v. Blackwell
• State of Ohio Ex Rel. Matthew Wolf, et al. v. Blackwell
• Sarah White v. J. Kenneth Blackwell and the Board of Elections of Lucas County, Ohio
• Nader et al v. Blackwell
• Schering v. Blackwell
• Ohio Democratic Party v. Blackwell
• Anita Rios et al v. Blackwell
• State ex. rel David Yost et al v. National Voting Rights Institute et al

Accidental release of Social Security numbers by the office of the Secretary of State

On March 1, 2006 Blackwell's office accidently published a list of 1.2 million Social Security numbers of Ohio citizens on a website along with their business filings. A Federal class-action lawsuit was filed by Darrell Estep who claimed that the release of the data had caused his Social Security number to appear three times on the website. [24] The lawsuit was settled on March 28, 2006 after the numbers were removed from the webite, a registration process was enacted to view the data and Blackwell's office agreed to make monthly progress reports to the court. [25] The data was a part of a centralized voter database, which is required by Federal law. At that time, Blackwell promised to only retain the last four digits of the Social Security number in the database to prevent future problems. [26]

However, on April 26, 2006, it was discovered that Blackwell's office had again, accidently mailed out computer disks containing the names, addresses and Social Security numbers of 7.7 million registered voters in Ohio. [27] The list was intended to be used by political activism groups to contact voters with campaign information. Blackwell's office recalled the twenty disks that were sent out with Blackwell's assurance that the privacy of voters was intact. [28]

Blackwell's Republican opponent, Jim Petro, who is also the Attorney General of Ohio, has launched an investigation into the accidental disclosure citing a legal requirement to "investigate any state entity where there may be a risk of a loss of private data." Blackwell stated that he considered the issue to be closed, but Petro disagreed saying that he will use "maximum due dilgence" to ensure that the data was not copied before it was returned. Ohio law requires that individuals be notified if their Social Security numbers are comprimised. [29] [30]

See also

• Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 1st District.

External links

• Official biography on Secretary of State's site, with photo
• Ohioans for Blackwell - Gubernatorial campaign site
• Ken Blackwell profile, NNDB.
• The Chicago Tribune: The anti-Obama

References

• "Broadening the Field for 2008" by Tara Ross, The American Enterprise Online, December 2, 2004, retrieved October 29, 2005

• "Enter, Mr. Blackwell: Was He Bush's Trump Card In Ohio?" by Jon Rappoport, Populist Party of America, November 3, 2004, retrieved October 29, 2005

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