Tea Party victory in Ohio primary 'stunning upset' in the face of being outspent 3-1

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2/29/12, "During Her First Race For Congress (a special election in 2005) (Republican) Schmidt accepted...$37,000 in Campaign Cash “Independent Expenditure “from the DCCC (Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee)."

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3/6/12, "In Upset, Schmidt Goes Down in Ohio," HotlineOnCall, Scott Bland

"In a stunning upset, Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, lost the 2nd District Republican primary to veteran Brad Wenstrup Tuesday night, falling short in her reelection bid eight months before Election Day. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Schmidt phoned Wenstrup to concede.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Wenstrup led Schmidt 49 percent to 43 percent.
Schmidt's defeat marks the first tea party upset of 2012, proving the movement still has legs after 2010. It also marks the first House success of the super PAC era. The Campaign for Primary Accountability, a super PAC targeting incumbents in safe districts, spent nearly $50,000 hitting Schmidt on the radio and via mail during the first week of March.

Schmidt had outspent Wenstrup more than three-to-one by the Federal Election Commission's pre-primary reporting deadline last month, but Schmidt has never run well in GOP primaries. The third-term member of Congress won her first primary, in a 2005 special election, with just 31 percent of the vote, and she won her nomination for a first full term with less than half of the GOP vote again. In 2008, she only won with 45 percent of the vote in the general election, with a third-party candidate tallying 18 percent. Schmidt's 62 percent showing in the 2010 Republican primary was her best yet.

Wenstrup, who narrowly lost the mayoral race in Cincinnati in 2009, becomes the favorite in the Republican-heavy 2nd District, which gave Sen. John McCain over 54% of its presidential vote in 2008. He will face the winner of the Democratic race between David Krikorian, and William Smith."

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3/7/12, "Upset in Ohio: Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) loses primary to Brad Wenstrup," Washington Post, Rachel Weiner

"In the first upset of 2012, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) lost a primary to Army Reserves Major Brad Wenstrup, a political newbie.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Wenstrup won 49 percent to 43 percent.
Schmidt has represented Ohio’s Cincinnatti-area 2nd district since 2005, when she won a special election against Democratic Iraq War veteran Paul Hackett. She faced a tough primary in 2006 from former Rep. Bob McEwan but has not had a serious challenge from within her party since.

“I’m honored that the voters heard our message of change,” Wenstrup said in a statement. “Change that includes strong, ethical leadership. Change that also includes reforming government, cutting spending and unleashing small business owners so they can create jobs.”

He challenged Schmidt from the right, targeting her votes for raising the debt ceiling.
Wenstrup had help from the Campaign for Primary Accountability, a new Texas-based super PAC targeting incumbents on both sides of the aisle. The group also backed Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) against Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) in Ohio’s 9th district.

“Voters were the victors,” said PAC co-chairmen Leo Linbeck III and Eric O’Keefe in a statement. “In the 2nd and 9th Districts of Ohio, the Campaign for Primary Accountability achieved its goal of greater participation and competition in Congressional primaries.”

Wenstrup’s first political campaign was in 2009, when he unsuccessfully challenged Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. The Democratic mayor liked his rival enough to appoint him to the city’s Board of Health.

Former Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy also lost her primary to former Ohio House minority leader Joyce Beatty in the Democratic primary for Ohio’s new 3rd district."

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2 comments to HotLineOnCall article:
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"bobfrommosineeTop 100

The Tea Party is heard from again, A win even though they were out spent 3 to 1, by Schmidt.
I am just loving it, Finally some Conservative ready to brawl with the establishment RINO's and the Liberal Leftist Democrats."
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"Peter Musurlian
 

Jean Schimdt was wasting a lot of her taxpayer-paid time...raising money
from Turkish Americans and focusing on their concerns, instead of
dealing with the economy in Ohio. She would bash Obama one day and then
camp out in an aisle seat in the House of Representatives...so she could
embrace Obama as he made his way down that aisle to deliver his
State-of-the-Union Address. That is just weird.

And, she also
spent a lot of time aggressively battling David Krikorian. SHE brought
the complaints against him before the feckless Ohio Elections
Commission. SHE filed some ridiculous multi-million dollar lawsuit
against Krikorian. All Mr. Krikorian did was run against her and point
out what a corrupt embarrassment she was.

When the Congressional Ethics Committee determined she was given a half-million dollars in free legal service battling
Krikorian, she was ordered to pay for it. Now that she lost, she never
will. That legal help, by the way, was paid for by the Turks....

Now she can spend more time traveling to Turkey for no good reason
except to pay back her Turkish contributors...people who gave more money
to Schmidt than anyone else in Congress. That is weird and suspicious.
The voters of Ohio's 2nd Congressional District have done the right
thing in banishing Ms. Schmidt, the aforementioned corrupt
embarrassment, to the ash heap of history...and...instead will be
represented by a doctor and Iraq War veteran.

It appears justice still prevails in America. "

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