Republican Sen. Rob Portman
Leading Off:
• OH-Sen, Columbus Mayor: Last week, Democrat Michael Coleman announced that he would not seek another term as mayor of Ohio's largest city. Coleman's decision quickly led to speculation that he'll run to unseat Republican Sen. Rob Portman in 2016. Coleman isn't ruling it out, and the Columbus Dispatch reports that national Democrats are trying to recruit him. Sources close to Coleman tell the Dispatch that he is interested, but unlikely to jump in. (H/t bjssp).
Coleman is far from the only candidate being courted to run against Portman, who recently announced his re-election plans. Head over the fold for more.
As we've noted before, former Gov. Ted Strickland also is a potential candidate, though it's unclear how serious he is about running. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head and former state Attorney General Richard Cordray has also been Great Mentioned, though he hasn't said anything public about his intentions.
Some other prospective candidates are also coming out of the woodwork. Henry Gomez of the Northeast Ohio Media Group introduces us to Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld. Sittenfeld isn't denying his interest, telling Gomez that he's mulling it over. Sittenfeld is seen as a young rising star among state Democrats, and a run against the very well financed Portman would definitely be the ultimate trial-by-fire.
Via Roll Call, we also have an old new name. Rep. Tim Ryan admitted that he is interested in running, saying he's taking a look at it. Ryan is a perennial potential candidate for statewide office, always being mentioned for various posts but never jumping in (like Senate in 2006, Senate in 2010, lieutenant governor in 2010, and governor in 2014). To paraphrase the film "The Contender", "He's the future of the Democratic Party in Ohio. And he always will be." Ryan's star also dimmed a little in 2012, when he was arrested for public intoxication. One name we can cross off is Rep. Joyce Beatty, who said she has "no interest in running for the U.S. Senate."
We also have one more exciting Buckeye State race to look forward to, since Coleman's decision not to run again will set off a competitive 2015 contest to succeed him back in Columbus. Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott quickly declared his candidacy, and fellow Democrat and City Council President Andrew Ginther is expected to join him soon. There are plenty of other names being Great Mentioned including Beatty. For the GOP, state Sen. Jim Hughes is getting the most attention. Columbus is a Democratic-leaning city, but Republicans will definitely try to put it in play now that the entrenched Coleman is leaving.
Gubernatorial:
• IN-Gov: Democrats haven't exactly been lining up to take on Republican Gov. Mike Pence in 2016, with former Gov. and Sen. Evan Bayh ruling it out. However, one familiar name looks very interested in running.
Former Rep. Baron Hill hasn't made any commitments yet but he's left his DC lobbying job and moved back home, and he's already estimating how much money he'll need to win. Hill served two stints in Congress representing a conservative but ancestrally blue Southern Indiana seat. Hill narrowly lost his seat to Mike Sodrel in 2004 before getting it back two years later, only to lose it 52-42 in 2010 to Todd Young. There haven't been many other serious Democratic names, though 2012 nominee John Gregg is reportedly considering a rematch with Pence.
As Hill acknowledges, he'll have his work cut out for him if he runs against Pence. A recent Ball State University Poll gave the governor an intimidating 62 percent approval rating, and Indiana isn't particularly friendly to Democrats these days. There is a chance that Pence runs for president next cycle rather than for re-election, which would make this contest a lot more interesting. However, if the incumbent seeks another term he'll definitely start out as the clear favorite against Hill or anyone else.
• NC-Gov: Last month, Republican Gov. Pat McCrory was oddly non-committal about his re-election plans, declaring that he hadn't decided if he wanted to run again. It looks like this was all just little ado about nothing though, since on Tuesday the governor launched his re-election web site and starred in a video telling voters how great he is. McCrory currently has no declared Democratic challengers for 2016, though Attorney General Roy Cooper looks very likely to jump in. McCrory's tenure has been very polarizing, and we should expect a very competitive race.
The Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir and Jeff Singer, with additional contributions from David Jarman, Steve Singiser, Taniel, and Dreaminonempty.