We Win Canton. We Win Ohio. GOP Dead.

It's official. State Rep. William Healy has been declared the winner of the Canton Mayoral Race. This would be the same race that Bob Bennett summoned all Republicans across the state to help defend.

William Healy 8,212
Janet Creighton 7,178

This has more meaning than anything else that happened in Ohio politics Tuesday. It has more meaning than all of Columbus, the entire OH-5 race, and every other city council candidate or judge we picked up statewide. This victory is the single greatest sign of the demise of the once great Republican Party in Ohio. Let me explain.

The most interesting thing about the Columbus municipal elections on Tuesday was how desolate the city was of any sign of the GOP. Since Columbus is Ohio's largest city, you'd think that the ORP would at least put up a fight there - especially since they were willing to dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into their Columbus races. There were no Republicans in parking lots, informing voters about GOP candidates. There were no reports of phone calls going out to GOPer voters in their homes. Hell, I don't even think the GOP drove voters to the polls. By order of Bob Bennett, Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, Republicans throughout Columbus, and the rest of the state, abandoned everything in order to put a firewall around the Canton Mayoral race. They put all their resources into trying to defend Creighton's hold over Ohio's 9th largest city, Canton.

And they lost. They lost spectacularly.

The Ohio Republican Party no longer controls any cities amongst Ohio's 10 largest. The last time the Ohio Republican Party faced this situation was 1906, over 100 years ago.

And the statement this makes about the state of the Ohio Republican Party was heard loud and clear by all. The Grand Old Party that controlled Ohio for over 16 years, really finessing it's hold on the state through an impressive organizational structure, financial operation, and candidate bench, has died.

The Republican Party I grew up with in Ohio is gone. Tonight showed that 2006 was no fluke; the party has lost its ability to command and connect with the people of Ohio.

Nowhere in Ohio. NOWHERE. Did Ohio Republicans upset Democrats in a major Mayoral race. In fact, not only did Republicans lose in Ohio's 9th largest city, but they also lost in Lorain, Ohio's 10th largest city. The Lorain Mayoral race is another pickup for the Ohio Democratic Party and shuts Republicans from controlling any cities amongst Ohio's 10 largest. In fact the only contest on the radar in which the Republican Party prevailed was in Green, Ohio - a teeny little town of 22,000 folks - where they beat a 27 year old by 700 votes. Hardly a resounding victory.

They lost in Marion. They lost in Chillicothe. They lost in Lorain. They lost in Columbus - all of it. They lost in Mansfield. They lost in Athens. They lost in Canton. They lost even lost in sleepy little Bellefontaine to a bright eyed, 22 year old Democrat by the name of Adam Brannon. By most accounts - if Mayoral races are the benchmark to judge the GOP's performance this year - they lost Ohio.

And when push came to shove. When Bob Bennett put everything on the line, the full power of the Ohio Republican Party, to retain the GOP's most important city, they lost when they should've won easily.

More than anything, this is a sign of a party in internal decline. And as Democrats learned during their sojourn through the vast political wilderness for 16 years prior to 2006, things get worse before they get better.

We're one year away from electing a President of the United State of America where Ohio's 20 electoral votes could make or break who's living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And things are looking good in the buckeye state.