Capri Cafaro

State Sen. John Boccieri won the election to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) in Ohio's 16th Congressional District, leaving a vacancy in Ohio's 33rd Senate District.

Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller (D-Columbus) has announced the process is underway for replacing Boccieri, whose district includes Mahoning, Carroll, and parts of Stark and Tuscarawas Counties.  

"I am so pleased that the voters of the 16th Congressional District have recognized the talent, character and patriotism that Senator Boccieri has shown, and elected him to represent them in Congress," Miller said. "It has been an honor to work alongside a man deeply devoted to his family, his community, and his country.  He has set a high standard for service, and we are looking forward to appointing a new member who will reflect his commitment to the 33rd District and the State of Ohio."

Ohio Senate

State Sen. Keith Faber

COLUMBUS -- With Democrats controlling the governor’s office and the state House, Republicans will have to rely on their majority in the state Senate to keep the GOP from getting rolled over on key decisions.

Newly-elected Senate Republican majority leader Keith Faber said despite pressure from Democrats, his caucus will stand up for its ideals but won’t be obstructionist.

“I think obstructionist is a funny word. I mean obviously, if you’re a Democrat and we don’t pass everything you give us, we’re an obstructionist,” he said. “Where the governor and the House may try to go to a more liberal-left position, I think they [voters] expect us to be in the middle of the road and adopt fiscal conservatism.”

State Sen. Jason Wilson (D-Columbiana) accepted the position Tuesday of political chair for the Ohio Senate Democratic caucus.

Wilson was voted into the position of assistant minority leader for the caucus in the upcoming 128th General Assembly last week. State Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) will become the caucus minority leader in the new session. State Sen. Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) will retain her position as assistant minority leader, while current minority leader Ray Miller (D-Columbus) will take the minority whip position that is currently held by Cafaro.

Wilson said that his title as political chair is a non-statutory position, but said that it exists so the caucus can have a member organizing its campaign strategy.

"We're going to have a comprehensive plan and a strategy for the next election cycle," Wilson said.

Last Wednesday, Ohio Senate Democrats convened to vote in a leadership team for Ohio's 128th General Assembly after current state Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller (D-Columbus) announced that he would not seek re-election to his leadership position.

The caucus ended up voting minority whip state Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) as the next leader of Democrats in the Senate. State Sen. Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) will keep her position as assistant minority leader, while Miller will move into the minority whip position and state Sen. Jason Wilson (D-Columbiana) will take over as assistant minority whip.

Cafaro told PolitickerOH.com that she thinks there was a desire among the caucus to try something completely new and bring in a fresh perspective.

"I think that is reflected in their selection not only for me as leader, but also for Sen. Jason Wilson as Assistant Minority Whip as well," Cafaro said.

As far as that new direction goes, Cafaro said there are two things she thinks the caucus needs to do, concurrently. The first she said was restructuring the internal caucus governance.

The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus voted in a new leadership team Wednesday afternoon, with state Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) moving into the state Senate minority leader position for the new session.

State Sen. Ray Miller (D-Columbus) announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election to his position as minority leader, leaving the position available as the caucus met Wednesday.

Democratic sources told PolitickerOH.com that state Sen. Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) will retain her position as assistant minority leader.

Also, Ray Miller will move into the role previously occupied by Cafaro, that of minority whip for the caucus.

State Sen. Jason Wilson (D-Columbiana) will take up the position of assistant minority whip. State Sen. Dale Miller (D-Cleveland) held this position after Cafaro moved up from it to replace former state Sen. Lance Mason (D-Cleveland) as minority whip when Gov. Ted Strickland appointed Mason to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

State Sens. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) and Tom Roberts (D-Trotwood) look like the two most likely candidates to succeed state Sen. Ray Miller (D-Columbus) as minority leader in the Ohio state Senate.

The two were observing Veteran's Day and therefore unavailable for comment Tuesday morning, however, sources from the Senate Democratic Caucus told PolitickerOH.com they were indeed the most likely to replace Miller in the position.

The two have also each expressed interest in the position to other news sources.

Cafaro told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that if her colleagues came to the conclusion that they would best be served with her as leader, she would certainly do so with "great fervor and determination."

State Sen. Capri Cafaro says she's not challenging George Voinovich in the 2010 U.S. Senate race, and The Inside Edge takes her at her word. But at some point, at least one person on Cafaro's staff needs to stop talking about the race against Voinovich.

Cleveland City Councilwoman Nina Turner has been picked to replace state Sen. Lance Mason (D-Shaker Heights), the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday afternoon.

Mason resigned to accept an appointment from Gov. Ted Strickland to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

Turner was unanimously selected by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus and will complete Mason's original four-year term, which expires in 2010.

The replacement comes after 20 months into Mason's term, which means that Democrats were able to avoid a special election to fill the seat.

State Sen. Capri Cafaro told PolitickerOH.com’s David DeWitt that she is most definitely not interested in challenging George Voinovich for the United States Senate in 2010.  Some Democratic insiders had said Cafaro has been talking to potential supporters about a statewide bid against the two-term Republican Senator and former Governor.  But Cafaro, viewed by some (but not all) Democrats as a rising star, still has some wiggle room to change her mind.

State Sen. Capri CafaroDENVER - Ohio state Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) confirmed to PolitickerOH.com that she is not running for U.S. Senate in 2010.

In a short talk at the Curtis Hotel in Denver, Cafaro reiterated adamently that she was not running for Senate.

"I am not running for Senate," she said emphatically. "I am not running for Senate."

Cafaro was referring to several posts on PolitickerOH.com's Inside Edge speculating about a possible challenge from Cafaro to U.S. Sen. George Voinovich.