Posted November 5, 200717 yr Stivers agrees to run in 15th Change of heart sets up likely battle with Kilroy Monday, November 5, 2007 - 3:35 AM By Joe Hallett THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Republicans finally got their man. State Sen. Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington today will announce his candidacy for the 15th Congressional District seat, likely setting up a showdown with Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy in what could be the nation's premier congressional race in 2008. Stivers, 42, a member of the state Senate for five years, was the first potential candidate whom U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner of West Chester called after GOP Rep. Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington unexpectedly announced in August that she would not seek a ninth two-year term. Pryce defeated Kilroy, a Franklin County commissioner, by a percentage point after a recount in 2006. FULL ARTICLE: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/05/stivers.ART_ART_11-05-07_A1_IK8CHC8.html?sid=101
March 6, 200817 yr Stivers, Kilroy to face off in fall Wednesday, March 5, 2008 By James Nash and Jack Torry THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH State Sen. Steve Stivers easily defeated a more conservative candidate in the Republican primary for a central Ohio congressional race yesterday, setting up a tough campaign against Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy this year. Stivers, a moderate Republican, was beating conservative economics instructor Robert M. Wagner 66 percent to 34 percent with most of the precincts counted. Wagner edged Stivers in conservative Union County and nearly matched him in Madison County. Stivers raised nearly 80 times as much money as Wagner did and locked up support from Republican Party organizations in all three counties of the 15th Congressional District: Franklin, Madison and Union. Kilroy, a Democrat who lost to incumbent Rep. Deborah Pryce by less than 1 percentage point in 2006, had no primary opponent. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/05/CONG05.ART_ART_03-05-08_B3_KU9HU74.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
March 11, 200817 yr Stivers rejects label of 'ex-lobbyist' Tuesday, March 11, 2008 By James Nash, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH If "lobbyist" is a dirty word in politics, Republican congressional candidate Steve Stivers and the Ohio Democratic Party are engaged in a curse-out. Stivers, a state senator running in the 15th Congressional District, likes to point to his service in the Army National Guard and five years representing western Columbus and suburbs. He's less fond, however, of talking about his seven years as director and vice president of government relations for Banc One Ohio Corp., which was absorbed into JPMorgan Chase in 2004, after Stivers had left. Stivers has repeatedly said he was not a lobbyist for Banc One, even though records from the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee show that he was. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/11/LOBBYIST.ART_ART_03-11-08_B2_K29JVD4.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
August 21, 200816 yr 15th District candidates to debate Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 9:30 AM WCMH-TV (Channel 4) will host a debate between candidates for the 15th Congressional District seat on Sept. 16 in the Fawcett Center at Ohio State University. WCMH anchorman Cabot Rea will moderate the one-hour debate, to be broadcast live at 7 p.m., between independent Don Eckhart, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican Steve Stivers. The event will also be streamed live on nbc4i.com. MORE AT: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/national_world/stories/2008/08/21/15debate.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
September 7, 200816 yr Kilroy, Stivers trade potshots Each trying to define issues in 15th District Sunday, September 7, 2008 - 3:27 AM By James Nash THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH One of the most competitive and closely watched congressional races in the country is heating up as two candidates try to define themselves and each other. Much is at stake for the candidates seeking to represent the 15th District, but much more is at stake for their parties. The control of Congress could be won here and in a handful of other races across the country. Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, who represents about 86 percent of the district as a Franklin County commissioner, narrowly lost in a run for the post in 2006 and is running again. Her Republican opponent, state Sen. Steve Stivers, represents about half of the congressional district in the Ohio legislature and is a newcomer to federal elections. Voters in the district that encompasses western Franklin County and all of Madison and Union counties might not know Stivers as well as they know Kilroy, but Kilroy and her allies are working to change that. They're pushing aggressively to define Stivers as a longtime lobbyist whose Senate votes reflect his allegiance to big business at the expense of central Ohio families. Read more at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/07/copy/CONG15.ART_ART_09-07-08_B1_GQB893A.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
September 18, 200816 yr Few sparks fly at debate in race for 15th District GOP's Stivers emphasizes differences from president in mostly cordial event Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 3:19 AM By James Nash THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH During her two campaigns for Congress in central Ohio's 15th District, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy has stressed her differences with President Bush and cast her Republican opponents as loyal soldiers for the president. During a debate last night, however, Republican Steve Stivers tried to switch the script. Stivers, a state senator, broke with Bush on three issues during the hour-long debate at Ohio State University's Fawcett Center in front of 200 people. The debate was sponsored by AARP and moderated by Cabot Rea of WCMH-TV (Channel 4). Stivers faulted the Bush administration for "a terrible job" enforcing foreign-trade laws and said he disagrees with the president's stances against reimportation of prescription drugs through Canada and for partial privatization of Social Security. Kilroy touted her record as a Franklin County commissioner and directly criticized Stivers only twice and Bush not at all. She said her top priority would be improving access to health care. Read more at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/17/copy/AARPDEBATE.ART_ART_09-17-08_B1_A6BBKON.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
October 2, 200816 yr Looks like the normal back and forth name calling of a congressional campaign. Given the current economic situation, is it worse to be called a "socialist" or a "bank lobbyist"? "Kilroy attacks Stivers' work as bank lobbyist" at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/01/copy/BANKLOBBY.ART_ART_10-01-08_B5_C0BFRJM.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 and "Stivers accuses Kilroy of having socialist past" at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/01/social.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
October 13, 200816 yr Eckhart might split GOP vote in 15th District Independent's stance on abortion could sway congressional race Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 7:51 PM By James Nash THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Without divine intervention, even Don Elijah Eckhart himself doesn't expect to go to Washington as the next member of Congress from central Ohio. Eckhart, however, could help determine who does. The retired state legislative analyst from Galloway could be a wild card in a close race between Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican Steve Stivers in the 15th Congressional District, one of the country's most competitive. Eckhart is running as an independent, while Mark Noble will be on the ballot as the Libertarian candidate. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/12/eckhart.html?sid=101
October 20, 200816 yr 15th District: Candidates agree economy is priority Congressional contenders clash on taxes, bailout in mostly civil debate Friday, October 17, 2008 - 3:18 AM By James Nash, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH You might not know it from their gut-punching mailers and television ads, but the candidates for central Ohio's 15th Congressional District actually agree on a few things. During their final scheduled debate of the campaign last night, Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers named the same top priority -- improving the economy -- and made mostly the same cases for preventive medicine and for alternative energy sources. Both also said they expect combat operations in Iraq to cease before the congressional term ends at the beginning of 2011. There were starker differences on tax policy and the wisdom of the recent Wall Street bailouts. Stivers said he'd extend President Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, saying no one can afford a tax increase during a recession. Kilroy said she'd allow the cuts to expire, saying they're skewed toward the rich. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/17/copy/CONGDEBATE.ART_ART_10-17-08_B1_0IBKJ68.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
November 5, 200816 yr 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Stivers holds 321-vote lead in hotly contested race Wednesday, November 5, 2008 - 3:24 AM Updated: Wednesday, November 5, 2008 - 10:21 AM By James Nash, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Republican Steve Stivers was ahead of Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy this morning by just 321 votes in the most hotly contested race for Congress in central Ohio. But the unofficial returns from the secretary of state's office do not yet include provisional ballots. With all precincts reporting, Stivers was leading Kilroy by 123,322 votes to 123,001, or 45.67 percent to 45.55 percent. Stivers, a state senator, led by large margins in Union and Madison counties. Kilroy led in Franklin County. The race also featured independent Don Elijah Eckhart, a retired state legislative analyst from Galloway who touted his anti-abortion position and populist views on economic issues, and Libertarian Mark Noble. Both Eckhart and Noble were each able to garner 5 percent of the vote. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/05/stivers.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
November 6, 200816 yr Kilroy, Stivers may be in for long wait in 15th Thursday, November 6, 2008 - 3:25 AM By James Nash and Jim Siegel THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH It's unlikely that voters in central Ohio's 15th Congressional District will know who will represent them in Washington for at least 10 days -- and maybe not even then. In the 15th, Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers clung to a 146-vote lead last night over Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy out of nearly 290,000 votes counted in the district. The 15th covers western Franklin County and all of Madison and Union counties. It was another cliffhanger for Kilroy, who came within 0.5 percent of unseating Rep. Deborah Pryce two years ago. In that election, Kilroy trailed by 3,536 votes in unofficial totals announced the day after the election, but the gap narrowed to 1,062 when uncounted absentee and provisional ballots were factored in and a mandatory recount was completed a month after the election. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/06/copy/LIMBO.ART_ART_11-06-08_A1_4KBQDFJ.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
November 15, 200816 yr 15th congressional district Stivers-Kilroy race remains in limbo Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 8:07 PM By JENNIFER NESBITT, ThisWeek Staff Writer Final results in the race for the 15th congressional district might not come before December, leaving residents unsure of who will represent them in Congress. As of Tuesday's press deadline, Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers led Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, a Democrat, by 149 votes. According to the Franklin County Board of Elections, Stivers had 129,852 votes to Kilroy's 129,703. At 45.57 percent to 45.52 percent, the race is well within the one-half of 1 percent margin that would trigger an automatic recount. Updated results for the race will not come before Nov. 24 or 25, when the board of elections plans to complete an official canvass of all ballots to certify vote totals, said board of elections spokesman Ben Piscitelli. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/clintonville/stories/2008/11/11/1113cl15th_ln.html?sid=104
December 2, 200816 yr Kilroy counting on uncounted ballots Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 3:24 AM By James Nash, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Since the morning after the Nov. 4 election, newly counted votes have expanded Republican congressional candidate Steve Stivers' lead over Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy from 149 votes to 594. So why is Kilroy the candidate who's smiling? The Franklin County commissioner who also ran for Congress in 2006 expects to make up her 594-vote deficit -- and then some -- when thousands of absentee, provisional, military and overseas ballots from Franklin County are added to the final count. She has some reason to be optimistic, according to an analysis by The Dispatch. But don't count out Stivers, a state senator in only his second run for elected office. Nearly 300,000 votes have been counted in the 15th Congressional District, which includes all of Madison and Union counties and western Franklin County, including most of Columbus. Stivers' lead widened slightly when Republican-leaning Madison and Union counties finished counting their late absentee and provisional votes this month. Kilroy is banking on Franklin County, where she beat Stivers by nearly 12,000 votes among those already counted and where more than 37,000 ballots wait to be tallied. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/30/copy/15th_RACE.ART_ART_11-30-08_B1_GAC31IU.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
December 8, 200816 yr Kilroy Wins 15th Congressional District Sunday, December 7, 2008 11:11 AM Updated: Sunday, December 7, 2008 7:36 PM COLUMBUS, Ohio — Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy won a hotly contested central Ohio congressional race by a little more than 2,000 votes Sunday after elections officials tallied provisional ballots in the district's largest county. Kilroy's victory over Republican Steve Stivers put the 15th Congressional District into Democratic hands following the retirement from Congress of U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce, a Republican. Franklin County elections officials released unofficial results Sunday that showed Kilroy with a margin of victory of 2,311 votes out of roughly 300,000 cast, enough to avoid an automatic recount. Kilroy went into the counting of about 24,000 provisional ballots - about 40 percent of them cast in the congressional district down by 594 votes. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.wbns10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/12/07/story_15th.html?sid=102
December 8, 200816 yr Long overdue good news, though shame on Kilroy for ANOTHER close race (2006 was no picnic). Hopefully this sets a precedent for Minnesota's Senatorial race and the thousand or so rejected absentee ballots get counted there, too.
December 8, 200816 yr Good news that this election was concluded, not so much good news on who won. :( Let's pray the Minnesota race concludes with a better result.
December 8, 200816 yr 15th District results (final) Mary Jo Kilroy (D) 139,582 Steve Stivers ® 137,271 Mark Noble (L) 14,061 Don Elijah Eckhart (I) 12,915 Ironically, Mary Jo Kilory can thank the two far right candidates for siphoning off enough votes from Stivers to win.
