Dr. Wulsin wins Dem primary ...

The candidate for whom I volunteered, Victoria Wulsin, won the Democratic primary on March 4th. This was the first political race in Ohio in which I have volunteered and it was a fun experience. I did office work, assembled yard signs, and once drove "Vic" to a forum. I worked a polling place on election day in the miserable cold and rain.

The victory party was at Arnold's, oldest bar in Cincinnati. Music was by students from the jazz program at Xavier University. Other than being off-key on "Hey Jude" they did a good job. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported thusly:

"With her win in the Democratic primary Victoria Wulsin won a second chance Tuesday to face off against Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District, beating Steve Black by a decisive margin in the Democratic primary.

Wulsin, 54, a public health physician who lives in Indian Hill, had 58 percent of the vote to Black's 30 percent. William Smith, a truck driver from Waverly who was rarely visible in the campaign, drew 12 percent.

"Tomorrow the work begins to unseat Jean Schmidt," Wulsin said as she claimed victory before supporters at Arnold's Bar & Grill downtown.

Jean Schmidt, the Republican incumbent, also won her primary comfortably. Again to the Enquirer:

"Schmidt said facing Wulsin again will be easier than in 2006.

'Republicans didn't show up. They weren't happy,' she said. 'The dynamics have changed for 2008.' Schmidt noted that, including primaries, this is the fifth election she has won in the 2nd District since 2005.

Wulsin faced off against Schmidt in 2006, and lost by less than 1 percent. This year, she said, an earlier start and more aggressive campaign gave her confidence she can win in November.

'What's the difference this year?' Wulsin said. 'I'm better known. The issues I talked about two years ago are even more important now, like bringing home the troops and becoming more energy-efficient.'"

With the general election eight months away campaigning slows down considerably for a while. I will let you know how Vic does in November.

jbv's Competitive Edge