Neuhardt Exits, SoS Field Clear for Maryellen O'Shaughnessy

Ohio Daily is reporting that Sharon Neuhardt, 2008 OH-07 Congressional candidate and rumored SoS candidate, has dropped out of the race to clear the field for Gov. Strickland's hand picked SoS candidate, longtime Columbus City Councilwoman and current Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O'Shaughnessy.

For those who don't know her, Maryellen O'Shaughnessy spent 11 years on Columbus City Council before seeking the Clerk of Courts post. The previous Clerk of Courts, John O'Grady (sense a pattern here?) successfully ran to fill the seat on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners being vacated by current Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy.

While I understand that Maryellen O'Shaughnessy was Gov. Strickland's hand picked candidate, in my opinion she has a somewhat checkered electoral history to overcome in this race. In 2000, after John Kasich retired from the Ohio 12th District seat, O'Shaughnessy was the Democratic nominee in the open seat race against Pat Tiberi - a race which Tiberi would go on to win 53-44 over O'Shaughnessy and a handful of minor party candidates. In 2002, O'Shaughnessy ran against incumbent GOPer Dewey Stokes for a seat on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, and while she came close, ultimately it was another loss for her. 

Then again, fellow Franklin County resident and current Ohio Attorney General had a number of losses under his belt before his 2006 breakthrough and 2008 election to AG. So it can be done. 

And, there's no doubt that O'Shaughnessy will make a much better SoS candidate than Garrison ever could have. She will not de-motivate the Democratic party's base the way a Garrison candidacy would have. Here's hoping she can make up for her late start in this race, and if the "Magic O" helps her, so be it :)