Ex-Ohio governor 'testing the waters' for Senate bid

In this Jan. 26, 2010, file photo, then-governor Ted Strickland delivers the State of the State address to a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in Columbus.(Photo: Paul Vernon, AP)WASHINGTON — Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland told The Cincinnati Enquirer he is "testing the waters" for a U.S. Senate campaign with an initial fundraising pitch to donors.In an exclusive interview Tuesday, Strickland said he has still not made a final decision about the 2016 race. In addition to his fundraising efforts, Strickland said he has formally left his post at the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based liberal advocacy group."I'm evaluating whether or not I'm the person who is best positioned to do this and to win," he said. "I think I am, but I'm taking this very seriously."He added, "What's pushing me forward is the desire to serve the people of Ohio in the Senate at a time of very serious, very serious situations facing the state and the nation."Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced his bid for a second term earlier this year, unveiling a long list of Republican supporters and highlighting a $5.8 million bank account. But Democrats see him as vulnerable, in part because Ohio is a swing state and 2016 is a presidential election year.Strickland said he will make a final decision before the end of February. But in the interview, he sounded very much like a candidate, with a platform and message ready to roll."I want to stand with average people who are ... faced with incredible economic challenges — brought on in part by the actions of those who are in positions of power and who have used their money and their influence to game the system," Strickland said.Strickland also strongly dismissed the grumbling among some Democrats that he might be seen as a stale contender. Strickland is 73 years old, and he has not been on the ballot since 2010, when he narrowly lost his re-election bid to GOP Gov. John Kasich.In light of that, some Ohio Democrats are rallying around Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld. The 30-year-old Sittenfeld, a Democrat, announced his Senate candidacy in January. He has been feverishly raising money since then, amassing about $500,000 so far, according to a source close to his campaign.Strickland said he if he decides to run, he expects to have "very robust financial support," and he brushed off questions about Sittenfeld's campaign chest."I've raised millions and millions of dollars in my campaigns, both for Congress and for governor," Strickland said. "Five hundred thousand dollars sounds like a huge sum of money, if that's what he's raised, but that does not dissuade me at all and neither does Rob Portman's $6 million or so ... That is absolutely not a factor."Strickland said that he has talked to Sittenfeld "on numerous occasions" but he has not tried to persuade him to drop out of the race if he jumps in."It's his decision," he said. "I'm not telling him what to do — I wouldn't do that."Dennis Willard, a spokesman for Strickland, said "any discussion about a primary is premature because he has not made a decision to officially run yet." For now, Willard said, Strickland is focused on talking to potential supporters and raising money.For his part, Sittenfeld does not seem to be interested in ceding to Strickland.Sittenfeld's priority right now "is advancing his vision for growing wages, reducing student loan debt, and rebuilding the middle class," said Ramsey Reid, his campaign manager. "As PG's said before, he admires Ted Strickland but is focused on his own campaign,"Still, some see Strickland's possible entrance into the race as a game-changer, because of his wide name recognition and his fundraising prowess. And Strickland discounted suggestions that it might be time for a "fresh face," saying his experience would make him a strong candidate."In terms of a fresh face … I believe that the country is facing very difficult challenges and I think what the country needs is people — and I think I'm one of them — with significant experience and a proven record of standing up for working people," the former governor said. "The Senate is a place where sober experience and mature leadership is desperately needed."He downplayed his 2010 loss to Kasich, noting that it was a terrible election year for Democrats, coming as the country was still in an economic recession and Republicans were riding a Tea Party wave."It was perhaps the closest gubernatorial election in the country in the most difficult of circumstances," he said. "I'm feeling very energized by the possibility of serving again."Strickland's decision to leave his post at the Center for American Progress — which he said happened last week — is a clear sign that he is laying the groundwork for a campaign. He declined to outline his fundraising efforts, except to say it was not an all-out effort but rather an initial step to test a possible candidacy.He said he was not looking to raise a specific amount at this point. And he insisted that he had not made a final decision."I am still checking things out," he said.See our 6 picks of the coolest things from the Toy FairFeb 17, 2015