SNITCHLER'S REAL FIGHT - TO RETAIN HIS SEAT IN 2010 (err 2012) - MAY NOT BE WITH THE DEMOCRATS AT ALL. IS JOHN HAGAN ON THE "COMEBACK" TRAIL?

UPDATE: JULY 19, 2009

MIKE WRITES THE FOLLOWING COMMENT:

Mike has left a new comment on your post "SNITCHLER'S REAL FIGHT - TO RETAIN HIS SEAT IN 201...":

Since Hagan is term limited out, he can't run for eight years. At that point, Rep. Snitchler would be rotating out of the seat also. It will be impossible for Hagan to ever run against Snitchler. He's just running for township trustee because he needs the health insurance.

SCPR RESPONSE:

Mike raises a good point on the "break" required before a former "term limited out" legislator and run again FOR THE SAME OFFICE, but he has the wrong period of time.

It is 4 years rather than 8. See the actual Ohio constitutional provision in the graphic to the below:

The question becomes: will Hagan run against Snitchler in 2012 on the premise he will biding his time as Marlboro Township trustee?

Here is the constitutional provision:




ORIGINAL POST:

It appears that former Ohio representative John P. Hagan (Republican - Marlboro) is on the political comeback trail. He has taken out a petition to run for Marlboro Township trustee.If things had gone well for Trustees Tim Wise (Democrat) and Dave Wolf (Republican) who were elected in 2006, then Hagan may have thought twice about embarking on a political comback.

But they didn't. Wise and Wolf got themselves embroiled in a fight with Marlboro Police Chief Ron Devies and lost. Now both are likely unelectable in Marlboro Township. The word is that Wolf won't even try. However, Wise is likely to actually file and run. So Hagan has to figure he is an odds on favorite to win one of the two seats up in November this year.

If Hagan loses in Marlboro, he is finished politically in Stark County.

So, John Hagan is taking some political risk in running for trustee. Marlboro trustee is a post he held for a number of years before being elected Ohio House representative - the 50th - in 2000. He went on to serve 8 years in the Ohio House before being term limited out.

Was he done?

No, he "persuaded" his college student daughter to run in the Republican primary to succeed him. Only problem was that Republican Todd Snitchler was the "heir apparent" anointed by then Stark Republican chairman Curt Braden.

Columbus Republicans worked vigorously to get Chistina Hagan to drop out of the race. Christina made statements to local media that the Ohio Republican Party promised her a job if she would step aside and pave the way for Snitchler.

But she wouldn't and a blood feud ensued between the Hagans and Snitchler. How bitter was the fight. When Christina lost to Snitchler in the primary, the Hagan supported Democrat Celeste DeHoff in the general election.

For himself, Hagan - like so many politicians - couldn't see life continuing outside the public sector. So, he ran for a open county commissioner seat.

Surprisingly, to nearly all but the SCPR, is lost in a race against Democrat Pete Ferguson to be the county commissioner to replace Republican Jane Vignos who retired.

The SCPR believes that Hagan can only win in a district like the 50th where there is a lopsided Republican registration plurality. Accordingly, it was no surprise to yours truly when he lost handily to political novice Ferguson countywide (which now leans Democratic).

The amusing thing about the Hagan/Ferguson race is that "political insiders" were openly talking about who was the laziest candidate between Hagan and Ferguson.

The SCPR believes that should Hagan win in Marlboro (which is highly likely), the will then begin to zero in on Todd Snitchler for Hagan/Snitchler Round II.

Hagan himself could be highly troublesome to Snitchler. However, Snitchler is one of the few good things going for the Stark County Republican Party. Accordingly, he probably is best described as the "darling" of the Stark GOP.

He was selected to be the emcee at the annual Stark Republican McKinley event recently.

Ironically, "the darling local party" role might be one many Stark political observers believed Hagan to hold at one time.

After it is all said and done, the SCPR thinks Hagan will give Hagan/Snitchler Round II a go. But he likely to loss and when the political realities settle in he will settle into being Marlboro trustee for the rest of his political life.