Ohio secretary of state wins governor’s slot

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) – Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth
Blackwell, a key figure in the state’s decisive 2004
presidential election, won his bid on Tuesday to run for
governor on the Republican ticket in November.

With about two-thirds of the vote counted, Blackwell held a
13 percentage point lead over fellow Republican Jim Petro, the
Ohio attorney general, who conceded.

In November Blackwell will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted
Strickland, who easily won his party’s nomination. If Blackwell
wins, he will become Ohio’s first black governor.

Two-term Gov. Bob Taft could not run because of limits set
by state law. Republicans in Ohio have been plagued by scandals
involving ethics and investments and Democrats have been eyeing
the state as a good candidate for a turnover.

As Ohio’s chief elections official, Blackwell played a key
and sometimes controversial role in making decisions on
ballots, polling place rules and other matters in a state that
ultimately decided the 2004 election in favor of President
George W. Bush over Democratic Sen. John Kerry..