Friday, March 03, 2000
GOP's 72nd District primary features three fresh faces
BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BATAVIA — Of all the political battles voters will decide Tuesday, few have as interesting a backdrop as the race for the 72nd DistrictOhio House seat.
None of the three candidates for the Republican nomination has ever been elected to office before.
The 72nd, where Rose Vesper has served several terms, covers southeastern Clermont County and Brown and Clinton counties.
Because term limits precluded Ms. Vesper from running again, the field was open. The Republican hopefuls in Tuesday's election:
Melvin Dean, 41, a video store owner and chief of Bethel-Tate Emergency Medical Services. He is on the Bethel Board of Public Affairs and is a one-time Bethel council appointee.
Tom Niehaus, 49, a former community-newspaper publisher, now working as a commercial leasing agent.
Scott Boone, 27, a trade-school educator and former political science major.
For Mr. Boone, who received a master's from Marshall University, the campaign has been part of a continuing education of sorts.
While his opponents have combined personal appearances with mass mailings, newspaper and radio ads and billboards, Mr. Boone has provided lessons in low-budget campaigning.
The key: stand on corners, knock on doors, do all the things that cost time and energy but not money. He estimates he's spent $3,000 during the campaign.
“This campaign has really taken off, people are responding,” Mr. Boone said.
“I had one woman come up to me and say "I'm going to vote for you' just because she saw me standing on the corner, waving.”
Mr. Niehaus, who has Ms. Vesper's endorsement, and Mr. Dean also have relied on shoe leather.
One lesson all three have taught in their first foray into political campaigning: nothing beats face-to-face.
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