Long before Todd Bosley ever thought about running against Republican incumbent Todd Snitchler for the Ohio House 50th District seat, Jeffrey Ury had taken out petitions.
Then came January, 2010 and a visit by Ohio Speaker of the House Armond Budish to the Bosley home with a plea to Bosley that he consider running against Snitchler.
Why?
Because the Ohio House Democratic Caucus under the leadership of 'Liz' Brown (daughter of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown) had done some polling and learned that Bosley was showing head and shoulders above Ury and others as a candidate with the most potential to put Snitchler on the political sidelines.
Consequently, it was just a matter of time that Ury would step aside. Though Ury denied to the SCPR that he would do so, he failed to file his petitions and thereby left the field clear for Bosley to focus on Snitchler.
Apparently, Ury's move is now paying political dividends for the Lake Township resident.
The SCPR understands that Ury was very unhappy to have to step aside. So much so, The Report is getting indications that he may be making demands of Candidate Bosley and the Ohio House Democratic Caucus (OHDC) to soothe his ruffled "political" feathers.
What might he be demanding?
First, a key role in the Bosley campaign. Say, like campaign manager? And, apparently, matters were coming to a quick conclusion on naming Ury the head of his former putative opponent's campaign. But someone from Columbus must have said: "Hold on a minute!"
Why?
Because as far as the SCPR knows, Ury is a political novice and hardly, in the opinion of The Report, and, most likely, to the political pros who staff the Democratic Caucus, not up to managing a critically important political campaign which could determine who controls the Ohio House of Representatives.
After some reflections, the "deep thinkers" at the OHDC got a grip on themselves and Bosley and backed off appointing Ury Bosley's campaign manager.
Second, The Report has learned that Ury was casting about for a new opportunity after being swept aside by Bosley. The SCPR has reason to believe that Ury had applied for Stark County commissioner Steve Meeks old job as the "eyes and ears" of Governor Strickland in Region 9 as a regional economic development director. Moreover, the SCPR has been told he was asking the likes of Bosley to support him in his quest.
The Report was surprised to hear the political insider talk about this Ury initiative. Ury appears to The Report to be politically naive about how these jobs are handed out and also does not seem to understand that he does not have the political longevity and connections to be remotely considered for such a job.
Proof of The Report's premise: guess who got the job? Congressman Boccieri staffer Chris Cupples, that's who. Maybe someday, Ury will get to that level within the Stark County/Ohio Democratic Party, but he's a long way from there now.
So what is left for Jeffrey "I pulled petitions for the 50th, but didn't file them" Ury?
How about: "a regional campaign directorship" - including Bosley's race - for candidates (there are 99 candidates) running as Democrats across Ohio?
It is a significant position, but it appears to be something much less than Ury was expecting.
Next question. Is all this talk just happenstance (unrelated) in terms of context of Ury having stepped aside or was Ury pursuing these opportunities as "what he had coming" for stepping aside from the 50th and thereby providing Bosley a clear path to go head-to-head against Republican Snitchler?
