Ohio’s Kucinich wins tough re-election bid

JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press
March 5, 2008

After sensing early that Joe Cimperman was a formidable opponent, Kucinich abandoned his presidential campaign on Jan. 25.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dennis Kucinich, the liberal Ohio politician who has made two failed White House campaigns, won the Democratic primary in his battle to keep his seat.

Kucinich faced the toughest, best-financed challenger in his 12-year congressional career.

Although the presidential primary commanded most of the nation’s attention, Kucinich’s race Tuesday was the best-known congressional contest on ballots in Ohio and Texas.

For years, the 61-year-old Kucinich has won re-election by margins of up to 75 percent in a reliably Democratic district.

But after sensing early that Joe Cimperman was a formidable opponent, Kucinich abandoned his presidential campaign on Jan. 25.

Cimperman, a Cleveland City Council member and former Kucinich admirer, raised nearly $500,000 and landed endorsements from the mayor and the city’s newspaper.

“Mr. Kucinich is not a congressman. He’s a showman,” said Cimperman, 37, who has belittled Kucinich’s Hollywood connections and criticized congressional votes Kucinich missed during his presidential campaigns.

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This article was posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 9:09 am

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