Ohio
Valley Regional Campaign Chairperson - Jo Ann Davidson
Central Regional Political Director - Dave DenHerder
Bush-Cheney '04, Inc. |
580
S. High St., Suite 160 | Columbus
(Grand Opening March 5, 2004...Chairman
Gov. Marc Racicot )
Some staff information
below from Mark Niquette. " Kerry team takes field in Ohio." The Columbus
Dispatch. May 19, 2004. Of the 13 staff at that time, 9
were Ohio natives.
(announced Sept. 26, 2003)
Vice Chairmen
(announced Sept. 26, 2003) |
Sen. George Voinovich
Sen. Mike Dewine |
Ohio
Valley Regional Campaign Chairperson |
Jo Ann Davidson |
(announced July 10, 2003)
Davidson was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for 20 years,
including service as Speaker of the House from 1995-2000. She served
as chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party Central Committee for
25 years. Davidson chaired the successful Taft for Governor campaigns
in 1998 and 2002. As chairman of the Ohio House Republican Campaign
Committee from 1986-2000, she spearheaded the successful effort to return
the Republicans to the majority in the Ohio House of Representatives in
1994, for the first time in 22 years.
Campaign
Manager |
Bob Paduchik |
An Ohio-based government affairs
and political consultant. Most recently served as Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Intergovernmental and External affairs at the U.S. Department
of Energy; was a member of the Department of Defense Transition Team. Ran
Bush's Ohio primary (Dec. 1999-March 2000) and general election campaigns
(Aug. 2000 to year's end), while on leave from position as director of
constituent affairs to Gov. Bob Taft. Served as the political director
for Taft’s 1998 gubernatorial campaign. Served on the staff of U.S.
Senator Mike DeWine; Northeast Ohio coordinator for DeWine’s 1994 U.S.
Senate race. Worked at the Ohio Department of Transportation during
the gubernatorial administration of George Voinovich. Paduchik has
a bachelors degree in political science from the University of Akron and
an honorary certificate in applied politics from the Bliss Institute.
Native of Tallmadge, Ohio.
Executive
Director |
Darrin Klinger |
Vice President
of Political Affairs at Strategic
Public Partners. Previously served as Gov. Bob Taft's personal
aide, and before that as a Field Representative for the Ohio Republican
Party. Has lived in Columbus since 1993; graduate of Ohio State University
with a B.S. in Secondary Education focusing on political science and history.
Native of Cincinnati.
Political
Director |
Michael Hartley |
Regional liaison director for
Auditor Betty Montgomery. Graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea,
OH), 1997. Elyria, Ohio native.
Director
of Coalitions |
J.D. Estes |
Deputy associate director of
the White House Office of Public Liaison. Graduated from the University
of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Government.
Director
of Events |
John Scharer |
Assistant legislative liaison
for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Marion, Ohio native.
Communications
Director |
Aaron McLear |
Legislative liaison for Gov.
Bob Taft. Deputy press secretary on Gov. Taft's 2002 re-election
campaign. Paid intern to Speaker Jo Ann Davidson. B.S. in Journalism
from The Ohio State University, 1999. Greenville, Ohio native.
Field Directors
Miami Valley - Melissa Cook ...Smithville,
Ohio native; was public information officer for Ohio Dept. of Transportation.
Eastern Ohio - Christina Haddad ...Perrysburg,
Ohio native; was an aide to Rep. Mary Taylor.
Northern Ohio and Cuyahoga County - Dan
Halm ...worked for Columbus Children's Hospital.
Southeast Ohio - Michael Komaschka ...Parma,
Ohio native; was special assistant to Taft's director of boards and commissions.
Northwest Ohio - Rusty Orben (replaced
Brian Metzbower)
Southwest Ohio - Brent Sanders ...was
an intern at the White House office of political affairs.
Northeast Ohio - Christina Wagner ...Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio native; was executive director of the Stark County Republican
Party.
9 Bush-Cheney ’04 Ohio Regional
Chairs
114 Bush-Cheney
’04 Ohio County Chairs
(As
of October 20, 2004. The campaign initially announced its Ohio
County Leadership Team, comprising 102 leaders, back on February 13,
2004).
Coalitions include:
-On April 2, 2004, the campaign
announced the Bush-Cheney '04 Ohio Farm & Ranch Leadership Team.
-Bush-Cheney '04 Ohio
Veterans State Chair: Captain Gene Watts (U.S. Army, Ret.) served in
the Army from 1969-1971, and as a Captain in Vietnam. He was elected
to the Ohio State Senate in 1984 and served four terms. [In 2000
he ran the Republican primary to replace Congressman John Kasich but lost
to State Rep. Pat Tiberi]. He served as the first state chairman of the
Ohio Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America and its national executive
committee. (May 11, 2004 press release Bush-Cheney '04 National Veterans
Steering Committee)
-On May 13, 2004, the campaign
announced the Ohio Viva Bush Coalition in an event at the State
House in Columbus. Chairman is Juan José Perez. He is
president of the Ohio Republican Hispanic Assembly.
-On May 27, 2004 Education
Secretary Rod Paige, U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, Ohio Bush-Cheney '04 Educators
for Bush Chair Dr. George Tombaugh, and others announced the National "Educators
for Bush" Team in an event in the Ulysses S. Grant Room at the State House
in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. George Tombaugh, the Bush-Cheney '04 Ohio
Educators for Bush steering committee chair, began his career as a
mathematics teacher and went on to become Springfield Schools Superintendent.
In 1999, he served as the education policy advisor and liaison under Governor
Bob Taft. After serving the governor, he became the superintendent
of the Westerville city schools.
-Bush-Cheney
’04 Ohio African American Chair is Deborah Burstion-Donbraye.
She is a political consultant and Director of Campaign America, the minority
outreach program of the Ohio Republican Party. She served as press
secretary on Bush's first campaign for governor.
Note: On Oct. 20,
2004 the campaign announced:
78,114 Recruited Bush Volunteers
1,930,255 Volunteer
Phone Calls to Ohioans in support of President Bush
315,648 Doors have
been knocked on to support President Bush
3,254 Total Parties
for the President have been hosted
Ohio Republican Party
| 211 S. Fifth Street | Columbus
Chairman |
Robert T. Bennett |
(Elected Feb. 16, 1988; since
re-elected to eight two year terms) Bennett, a CPA, is an attorney
who specializes in tax and business law; prior to becoming chair he worked
as partner in the law firm of Bennett & Harbarger, finance director
for the City of Strongsville and as a CPA with the firm of Ernst &
Ernst (now Ernst & Young). Executive Vice-Chairman of the Cuyahoga
County (Cleveland) Republican Party from 1974 until February 1988.
Managed Republican Ralph Perk's successful 1971 mayoral candidate in Cleveland;
first Republican elected to the position in more than 40 years. Directed
the successful 1970 U.S. Senate campaign of Robert A. Taft. J.D.
from Cleveland Marshall Law School of Baldwin Wallace College, 1967.
B.S. in Business Administration from Ohio State University, 1960.
Executive Director |
Chris McNulty |
Executive director since 2001.
"Ohio Bush Red Team," 2003-04. Political director for the Ohio Republican
Party, 1997-2000. Northeast Ohio field director for the Party, 1996-97.
Southeast Ohio field director for the Party, 1995-96. Graduate of
John Carroll University (Cleveland), 1992.
Director, Victory 2004 |
David Payne |
Director of boards and commissions,
appointed by Gov. Robert Taft in Feb. 2003. Managed Gov. Taft's 2002
re-election campaign. Director of constituent affairs for Taft.
Managed two Ohio Supreme Court campaigns in 2000. Worked for
Wisconsin Republican legislators. Managed Rep. Frank A. Cremeans'
(OH-6) 1996 campaign. Coordinated Steve Forbes 1996 presidential
primary campaign in Ohio. Political director of the Ohio Republican
Party in the early 1990s through Jan. 1995. Native of Johnstown.
72-Hour Task Force |
Matt Mason |
-Started with four regional
72-Hour coordinators, now about 20 around the state.
Absentee Ballot Coordinator |
Amanda Jacobs |
Election Day |
Chris Valentine
John Campbell |
Communications Director |
Jason Mauk |
Finance Director |
Annie Gardecki |
African American Outreach |
Deborah Donbraye |
Hispanic Assembly |
Jacklyn Rohaly |
|