Ken Blackwell
Ken Blackwell | |
---|---|
48th Secretary of State of Ohio | |
In office January 8, 1999 – January 8, 2007 | |
Governor | Nancy Hollister Bob Taft |
Preceded by | Bob Taft |
Succeeded by | Jennifer Brunner |
43rd Treasurer of Ohio | |
In office March 1, 1994 – January 8, 1999 | |
Governor | George Voinovich Nancy Hollister |
Preceded by | Mary Ellen Withrow |
Succeeded by | Joe Deters |
Mayor of Cincinnati | |
In office 1979–1980 | |
Preceded by | Bobbie Sterne |
Succeeded by | David Mann |
Personal details | |
Born | John Kenneth Blackwell February 28, 1948 Alliance, Ohio, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Xavier University (BS, MEd) |
John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1948) is an American politician, author, and
Early life and education
Blackwell was born in Alliance, Ohio, the son of Dana, a part-time nurse, and George Blackwell, a meatpacker. He has two brothers, Carl and Charles. He married his wife Rosa in 1969 while he was in college. They have three children, Kimberly, Rahshann [Ohio Northern] Law School graduate), and Kristin.
Blackwell grew up in Cincinnati's
Blackwell attended
He has served as a trustee of Wilberforce University and Wilmington College. On April 25, 1987, Kenneth Blackwell was made a Mason-on-Sight by Grand Master Odes J. Kyle Jr. of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio; thereby making him a Prince Hall Freemason.[7] This African-American branch of Freemasonry was founded in the 19th century.
Political career
This section includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2009) |
Blackwell became involved in politics through the Charter Committee, Cincinnati's third party. He was elected to and served on the Cincinnati city council.
In 1978, he was elected as
Blackwell is a member of the
When Blackwell began to consider statewide and national offices, he became a Republican. He was appointed to serve in the administration of President
In 1994 Gov. George Voinovich appointed Blackwell as Ohio State Treasurer to complete the term of Mary Ellen Withrow. She had been appointed as U.S. treasurer by President Bill Clinton. Blackwell was elected treasurer in 1994 and was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 1998. That year, Blackwell considered a run for governor, but Ohio Republican Party chairman Robert T. Bennett persuaded Blackwell to run for secretary of state instead, leaving the governorship open to Bob Taft.[citation needed] Blackwell was national chairman of longtime friend Steve Forbes' presidential campaign in 2000.[8] Blackwell was re-elected secretary of state in 2002.
Ohio Secretary of State
Involvement in the 2004 U.S. presidential election
As Secretary of State of a hotly contested swing state, Blackwell played a prominent role in the 2004 United States elections. He held the position of Chief Elections Officer, overseeing Ohio's elections process.
In testifying to Congress in 2005 about the conduct of the 2004 election in Ohio, Blackwell said that every Republican holder of statewide office in Ohio had been named as an honorary "co-chair" of the 2004 Bush campaign, that the position carried no responsibilities, and that previous Ohio Secretaries of State from both parties had held similar honorary positions.[9]
Prior to the 2004 presidential election, Blackwell had announced he would enforce an Ohio State election law decreeing that any person who appeared at a polling place to vote but whose registration could not be confirmed would be given only a provisional ballot; if it were later determined that the person had attempted to vote in the wrong precinct, then their provisional ballot would not be counted. He directed poll workers to refuse to distribute provisional ballots unless they were satisfied as to the voter's residence. The Democratic party filed a lawsuit claiming that the policy was "intended to disenfranchise minority voters" and in violation of federal election law, specifically section 302 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).[10]
On October 21, 2004, U.S. District Court Judge James G. Carr issued an order rejecting Blackwell's policy.[11] Blackwell said that he would go to jail rather than comply. Blackwell appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On October 26, 2004, the Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed in part and reversed in part.
The court agreed with the plaintiffs and the District Court that Blackwell's directive violated HAVA to the extent that it empowered poll workers to withhold a provisional ballot based on their "on-the-spot determination at the polling place." The court ruled that if a subsequent review concluded that the voter was not entitled to vote in that precinct, then the provisional ballot would not be counted. (pdf) (pdf) In accordance with the Court of Appeals ruling, provisional ballots cast in the wrong precincts were not counted in Ohio's 2004 elections.
Democratic members of the
On December 27, 2004, Blackwell requested a court order to protect him from being interviewed in the Moss v. Bush case, a challenge of the presidential vote. He fought a subpoena, arguing that the litigation was frivolous.[12]
List of legal suits and rulings
As Ohio Secretary of State, Blackwell has been a party to many election-related lawsuits.[13] Some of these include:
- Moss v. Bush; Dismissed at request of plaintiff after certification of electoral votes
- Beacon Journal Publishing Company, Inc. and Charlene Nevada v. J. Kenneth Blackwell and the Board of Elections; Ohio was ordered to permit reporters to enter polling places during the Fall 2004 election, notwithstanding ORS § 3501.35.(pdf)
- Lucas County Democratic Party et al. v. Blackwell[14]
- The Sandusky County Democratic Party v. J. Kenneth Blackwell; Blackwell was forced to pay nearly $65,000 in legal fees to the Sandusky County Democratic party.[15][16]
- The League of Women Voters of Ohio et al. v. Blackwell[17]
- Miller et al. v. Blackwell et al.[18]
- Spencer v. Blackwell[19]
- Summit County Democratic Central and Executive Committee et al. v. Blackwell et al.[20]
- American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. et al. v. Blackwell[21]
- State of Ohio Ex Rel. Matthew Wolf, et al. v. Blackwell[22]
- Sarah White v. J. Kenneth Blackwell and the Board of Elections of Lucas County, Ohio[23]
- Nader et al. v. Blackwell[24]
- Schering v. Blackwell[25]
- Ohio Democratic Party v. Blackwell; Upheld in federal appeals court in favor of Blackwell[25]
- Anita Rios et al. v. Blackwell[26]
- State ex. rel David Yost et al. v. National Voting Rights Institute et al.[26]
Release of Ohio Social Security numbers
On March 1, 2006, Blackwell's office accidentally published a list of 1.2 million
But on April 26, 2006, Blackwell's office disclosed Ohio Social Security numbers again, mailing out computer disks containing the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of 5.7 million registered voters in Ohio (80% of all registered voters in the state).[30] The list was released as a standard practice under the Freedom of Information Act and Help America Vote Act. Blackwell's office apologized, saying that the release of the Social Security numbers was accidental and it attempted to recall all 20 of the disks. At least one recipient of the disks refused to comply.
Diebold controversies
Ohio State Senator
On April 4, 2006, the
When Cuyahoga County's primary was held on May 2, 2006, officials ordered the hand-counting of more than 18,000 paper ballots after Diebold's new optical scan machines produced inconsistent tabulations. The results of several local races were in limbo for days and eventually the recount resulted in a reversal of the outcome of one race for state representative. Blackwell ordered an investigation by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections; Ohio Democrats demanded that Blackwell, due to his prior role in acquiring the Diebold equipment as well as his status as the Republican gubernatorial candidate in this election, recuse himself from the investigation due to conflicts of interest, but Blackwell did not do so.[36]
2006 Ohio gubernatorial campaign
Campaign and national significance
Blackwell was the Republican nominee for
There had been increased national attention on the ability of the Republican party to maintain control in Ohio. On a national level, The New York Times suggested that the results of the election would be a bellwether for the 2008 US presidential election.[37]
Blackwell faced an uphill battle; according to a broad survey reported by The Plain Dealer on April 30, 2006, Ohio voters would "prefer to see a Democrat occupy the governor's mansion."[38][39] Still, he had his supporters. John Stemberger, president and general counsel for the Florida Family Policy Council, was quoted as saying that Blackwell could "potentially be president of the United States someday, and the first black president at that."[40] Blackwell's campaign relied heavily on accusations that Ted Strickland was not a resident of Ohio, and later that Ted Strickland was gay.[41] Both of these accusations played heavily in campaign literature that failed to resonate with Ohio voters. Due to his poor management of this campaign, Blackwell's ability to compete on a national stage was called into question.
On November 7, 2006, Ted Strickland was elected Governor, defeating Blackwell by a 24% margin.[42]
Conservative platform
Blackwell has taken some very conservative positions. In 2005, he supported keeping
In his 2002 campaign for re-election to the post of Secretary of State, Blackwell took the position that he would favor abortions in the case where the life of the mother was at stake. He has since taken a more conservative position of opposing abortions even in the case where the mother's life is at risk.[43]
May 2 primary
Blackwell won the Republican Primary on May 2, 2006, against Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro with 56% of the vote.[44] The run up to the primaries was dominated by strongly critical television ads that Blackwell and his opponent Jim Petro ran against one another.[45]
Blackwell was criticized by Petro, for declining to engage in three planned debates which had been organized by the Dayton Daily News and the City Club of Cleveland. The debate at the City Club of Cleveland occurred on April 25, 2006, despite Blackwell's absence. The event was originally scheduled to be broadcast on public television around Ohio. According to The Columbus Dispatch, "Blackwell said he has 'shared plenty of forums' with Petro and that he wants to focus on talking to Republicans in the final days of the campaign."[46]
On April 29, the Hamilton County Democrats publicly demanded that Blackwell pull radio ads which urged unregistered Democrats to ask for Republican primary ballots on May 2, 2006 (rather than the issues-only ballot that unregistered voters normally get), and thereby become registered Republicans. The Democrats argued that the ads are using "illegal and unethical political tactics."[47]
Campaign finance
During the primary, Blackwell led the Republican candidates in his ability to raise significant amounts of money for his campaign. He raised $1.09 million between January 31, 2006, and April 12, 2006, from approximately 12,000 individuals and businesses. This was nearly $800,000 more than his main competition, Jim Petro, but less than the $1.1 million raised by his main Democratic competition, Ted Strickland.[48] Blackwell, along with 14 other candidates, (including Petro and Strickland) were accused by the Ohio Citizen Action group of failing to meet Ohio's campaign contribution law which requires best efforts to disclose the names, addresses, employment status, employer, and place of employment of individuals who donate $100 or more to a political campaign. Blackwell, Petro, and Strickland all received a "B letter grade" from the group for their levels of disclosure.[49]
On April 16, 2006, the
After winning their respective primaries, both Blackwell and his Democratic opponent were able to raise record sums, in part because of the national attention paid to the race. As of September 9, 2006, Strickland led Blackwell, $11.2 million to $10 million.[51]
Support from religious groups
Blackwell was well supported by many religious leaders in Ohio both politically and financially; according to campaign filings, Blackwell had received $25,031 from clergy, more than 27 times as much as Strickland.[52]
However, on January 16, 2006, a group of 31 pastors, led by Rev. Eric Williams, pastor of North Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) in Columbus, Ohio wrote a 13-page letter to the IRS alleging that Blackwell has enjoyed "special treatment" by two Ohio "mega-churches," World Harvest Church and Fairfield Christian Church. The pastors accused the two organizations of sponsoring at least nine events with Blackwell as the sole invited politician, described as "partisan voter-registration drives," and of distributing biased voting guides. Rev. Russell Johnson, pastor of the Fairfield Christian Church in Lancaster, Ohio, defended his actions by saying that the event in question was not a "meet the candidate forum," but rather that he was giving Blackwell "an award for courageous leadership."[53] Blackwell later called the group of 31 pastors "bullies."[46]
On April 19, 2006, e-mails sent on behalf of the Blackwell campaign by Rev. Johnson on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006, were reported by The Columbus Dispatch.[54] Both the Blackwell campaign and Johnson, on behalf of Fairfield Christian Church, denied all wrongdoing. The e-mails in question subsequently were publicized on various online media outlets, clearly showing that the e-mails had been sent from within Johnson's church office on the evening of Easter Sunday to Church personnel and employees of the church-owned Fairfield Christian Academy.[55]
As the two churches are
On May 7, 2006, the members of the Lord of Life
On May 14, 2007, Blackwell was appointed a senior fellow at the well-known conservative religious, political group Family Research Council.[57]
Support from pro-gun organizations
Blackwell has earned an "A" rating from the
"I unequivocally support the Second Amendment right of every law-abiding Ohioan to keep and own firearms for hunting, personal protection and any other lawful purpose," said Blackwell. "I am proud to receive the NRA's highest rating and will be an unflinching advocate for gun owners as governor."
Bonuses
After Blackwell left office as Secretary of State, an audit found that he had awarded $80,534 in illegal bonuses to 17 employees.[59]
RNC Chairman Election
Blackwell announced his intentions to run in the
RNC Chairman Vote Source: CQPolitics,[60] and Poll Pundit[61]
Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Steele | 46 | 48 | 51 | 60 | 79 | 91 |
Katon Dawson | 28 | 29 | 34 | 62 | 69 | 77 |
Saul Anuzis | 22 | 24 | 24 | 31 | 20 | Withdrew |
Ken Blackwell | 20 | 19 | 15 | 15 | Withdrew | |
Mike Duncan | 52 | 48 | 44 | Withdrew |
- Candidate won that Round of voting
- Candidate withdrew
- Candidate won RNC Chairmanship
Association with Family Research Council (FRC)
National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA)
In October 2011, the National Federation of Republican Assemblies elected Blackwell their Executive Vice President at their Des Moines, Iowa Presidential Preference Convention. Blackwell was re-elected in September 2013.
Involvement in Trump transition
During the presidential transition of Donald Trump, Blackwell led appointment selections for positions involving domestic issues.[62]
Bibliography
- Rebuilding America: A Prescription for Creating Strong Families, Building the Wealth of Working People, and Ending Welfare. Jerome R. Corsi)
- The Blueprint: Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency. Lyons Press, 2010. Ken Klukowski)
See also
References
- ^ a b "Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment". Frc.org. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ a b Nelson, Anne (August 26, 2022). "A Rare Peek Inside the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy". newrepublic.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022.
- ^ Walton, Bill (2023). "KENNETH BLACKWELL". thebillwaltonshow.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023.
- ^ Horstman, Barry M. (September 1, 1977). "Research provides game plan". The Cincinnati Post. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kemme, Steve (July 20, 1986). "Ken Blackwell: Reveling in the heat of limelight". The Cincinnati Enquirer. pp. A-1, A-4 – via Newspapers.com. [1]
- ^ Malanga, Steven (Winter 2006). "Ronald Reagan's Unlikely Heir". City. Manhattan Institute. Archived from the original on February 3, 2006.
- ISBN 978-0-615-63295-7. Archived from the originalon 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ^ Gizzi, John (January 28, 2005). "Conservative Star, Ken Blackwell, Is on the Rise in Ohio". HumanEvents.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Blackwell, Ken (2005-03-21). "Testimony By J. Kenneth Blackwell". Committee on House Administration. Archived from the original on 2007-04-07. Retrieved 2006-09-14.
- ^ "Ohio provisional ballot ruling reversed". USA Today. October 23, 2004. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ "Defiant Blackwell rips judge". Enquirer.com. 2004-10-22. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ Welsh-Huggins, Andrew (December 28, 2004). "The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Ohio voting official fights subpoena". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2004.
- ^ "FindLaw News: Election Law Coverage 2004: Lawsuits". News.lp.findlaw.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Lucas County Democratic Party et al. v. Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ Blade Columbus Bureau. "Court affirms Blackwell owes $65,000 in legal fees". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Sandusky County Democratic Party v. J. Kenneth Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz (Litigation: League of Women Voters v. Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Miller et al v. Blackwell et al)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Spencer v. Blackwell, et al)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Summit County Democratic Central and Executive Committee, et al v. Blackwell, et al)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
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- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (State of Ohio Ex Rel. Matthew Wolf, et al. v. Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Sarah White v. J. Kenneth Blackwell and the Board of Elections of Lucas County, Ohio)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Nader et al v. Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ a b "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Schering v. Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ a b "Election Law @ Moritz – Litigation (Anita Rios v. Blackwell)". Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ [2] Archived August 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com". Cincinnati.com.
- ^ "Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com". Cincinnati.com.
- ^ Weiss, Todd R. (28 April 2006). "Ohio recalls voter registration CDs; Social Security numbers included". Computerworld. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds". The Columbus Dispatch. 1980-10-27. Archived from the original on 2006-05-08. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ Northeast Ohio (2011-11-01). "Northeast Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ US-CERT Cyber Security Bulletin SB04-252 Summary of Security Items from September 1 through September 7, 2004
- ^ Niquette, Mark (April 4, 2006). "Blackwell reports shares in Diebold". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "Improper stock buy reported". The Vindicator. Associated Press. April 4, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ [3] Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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- ^ [4][dead link]
- ^ Tankersleyblade, Jim (2006-07-23). "Republican tactics in Ohio echo political ploys of '04". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "2006 Election Results". 9 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-09.
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- ^ [6] Archived August 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Northeast Ohio (2011-11-01). "Northeast Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ a b c "Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds". The Columbus Dispatch. 1980-10-27. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Hamilton Co. Democrats Want Blackwell to Pull Radio Ads". 2006-08-21. Archived from the original on 2006-08-21. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.cleveland.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ "Blackwell defends campaign donations". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "cantonrep.com". 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
- ^ Dayton Daily News[dead link]
- ^ a b c "IRS scrutinizing charities' political work". The Boston Globe. April 29, 2006.
- ^ [7] Archived May 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [8] Archived March 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [9] Archived June 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Family Research Council". 2007-05-13. Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
- ^ "These Are the People Who Really Run the NRA". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015.
- ^ [10], Biz Journals, 24 March 2008
- ^ CQ Politics (January 30, 2009). "Republican Choose Michael Steele as Party Chairman". Archived from the original on February 3, 2009.
- ^ PollPundit.com (January 30, 2009). "RNC Chairman Vote: Live Coverage". Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ^ Romm, Tony (November 11, 2016). "New details emerge on Trump transition organization". Politico. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
External links
- The Chicago Tribune: The anti-Obama
- Ken Blackwell's personal site – Ken Blackwell's personal site
- Hardball with Chris Matthews, March 22, 2005, Terri Schiavo case
- "Broadening the Field for 2008" by Tara Ross, The American Enterprise Online, December 2, 2004, retrieved October 29, 2005.
- Appearances on C-SPAN