ABSTRACT
In January of 2005, Ohio appeared poised to make history by electing an African American as its next governor. At that early moment, both the Democratic and Republican Parties had strong, viable black candidates. From the Democratic Party, Michael B. Coleman, the mayor of Columbus, Ohio emerged as the contending frontrunner, while Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell captured the frontrunner position among Republicans. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was even better positioned to run for governor given his record of winning statewide offices, the first black candidate to do so in the state. By the general election, the political landscape indicated that Ohio voters were primed to "throw the rascals out" after 16 years of Republican Party control. J. Kenneth Blackwell's emphasis on moral values, a rarity among Republican candidates in 2006 races made him too far to the right for the majority of Ohio voters, including the state's Republicans who tend to run more moderate campaigns.
