Black Mayor to seek Ohio Governorship

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman will seek the Democratic Party's nomination for governor and announce his candidacy at his east side home today, sources said. His decision guarantees that Democrats will have a 2006 contender who can attract moderate votes and campaign cash -- two key attributes the party's 2002 nominee did not possess. Former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Jim Ruvolo called Coleman "a superstar candidate who has done very well in Columbus -- so well the Republicans couldn't even find a candidate to run against him last time." He proved his management abilities by becoming one of the few mayors to balance the budget without laying off police or firefighters, Ruvolo said. Coleman also enjoys strong support from his fellow big-city mayors. Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell endorsed his candidacy nearly two years ago, and Akron's Don Plusquellic - another potential candidate for governor - said in the past he would not enter the race if Coleman did. Plusquellic had no comment about Coleman's decision. Coleman campaign adviser Greg Haas also would not comment. If Coleman wins the nomination, he would become the first black gubernatorial candidate nominated by a major party in Ohio. One of Coleman's greatest political strengths is his ability to raise money. Last year - an off-election year - he collected $597,029, according to a campaign finance report filed Monday, and had a $230,370 balance. Two of his three GOP rivals had million-dollar accounts but a third - Secretary of State Ken Blackwell - had just $225,000 on hand. Democrats have not elected a governor since 1986, when Dick Celeste won a second term. In 2002, Democrat Tim Hagan was soundly defeated by Gov. Bob Taft, who is term-limited and cannot run again[more] and [more]