Mecklenborg Moving to Ohio House

For political junkies who might have missed it, an article in this week's CityBeat about problems at the area's mass transit agency also reveals the person who is likely to replace Bill Seitz in the Ohio House.

Robert Mecklenborg, who sits on the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority’s board of trustees, is the local Republican Party’s frontrunner to fill the 30th District house seat vacated by Seitz (R-Green Township), according to party sources. Seitz is moving to the Ohio Senate, where he will replace Patricia Clancy (R-Colerain Township) in a deal brokered by party leaders.

Mecklenborg, who lives in Green Township, is a partner in a Westwood law firm. He previously served as law director for the city of Cheviot and as prosecutor for the village of Cleves.

Also vying for Seitz’s house seat is Dick Hammersmith, a political consultant active in anti-abortion groups and who formerly served as Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Monzel’s chief of staff. Although Hammersmith began lobbying party leaders for the seat about two years ago, in anticipation of Seitz’s job switch, Mecklenborg probably will be the local party’s recommendation to state officials, sources said. Some party members dislike Hammersmith’s heavy-handed tactics and abrasive personality, they added.

A Hamilton County Republican Party committee will meet Friday to decide on the recommendation.

— Kevin Osborne

Comments

[Steve]

Bob Mecklenborg is a decent family man who desrves this honor to represent us West Siders.

Dick Hammersmith is a right-wing neo-fascist who hates women, minorities, and gays. He is from the Taliban wing of the Republican Party. Hammersmith's idea of poltics is to tear down other Republicans.

Hammersmith is probably working with his toady Mike Harlow to force Scott Gehring, a good lifelong Republican, to resign for not being as big a right-wing nutjob as they are.

[Blue Chip Member]

Dick Hammersmith cares no more about the inner workings of a Young Republican club than he does about you. He's too busy running a winning campaign and fighting for conservative values.