View full sizeU.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette announces his retirement Tuesday at a news conference in Painesville. The surprise move set into motion a scramble by LaTourette's fellow Republicans to find a replacement for the November ballot. The move also triggered buyers remorse among Democratic leaders who fielded a weak nominee in anticipation of a LaTourette route.PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette's
instantly altered the playing field Tuesday in what Republicans and Democrats are now approaching as a swing district.
GOP chairmen and secretaries from each of the seven counties inside the 14th District must meet by Aug. 13 to pick LaTourette's replacement on the November ballot, a task that will leave the new nominee fewer than 90 days to campaign.
Democrats, meanwhile, are sending quiet but clear signals that they would prefer their nominee, perennial candidate
, to step aside for a stronger opponent. Blanchard was expected to be trounced by LaTourette.
"This is a huge endeavor," said Dale Fellows, Republican Party chairman in Lake County, the district's most populous. "It's not just the glamour of being in Congress. It's some of the things Steve talked about today that aren't so glamorous."
LaTourette, who attributed his surprise retirement from Congress to frustration with partisan gridlock, will formally withdraw his re-election bid Aug. 8. Doing so then avoids the need for a special election and throws the decision on a new candidate to the party leaders. LaTourette said he won't be involved in the process but would offer opinions if asked.
"But by making this announcement, it is my belief that I forfeit the right to tell them what to do," he said.
LaTourette, of Bainbridge Township, apologized for leaving the party in a bind so close to the election. He called Blanchard a "good man" who was well-known by district voters thanks to his six previous bids for the seat.
"Whoever the party picks, they're going to be 90 days out, and they're going to have to hustle," LaTourette said.
Among Republicans being mentioned are Lake County Common Pleas Judge
, Geauga County Prosecutor
, State Rep.
and former State Rep.
. None returned telephone calls Tuesday.
Cuyahoga County Councilman
attended LaTourette's retirement announcement in Painesville and afterward declared his interest. Congress, Schron said, "is something I've always been interested in."
, a member of the Willoughby-Eastlake school board, also plans to seek the nod.
"I think I have a lot of experience and can do a good job," said Brickner, who served on the state Board of Education in the 1980s and has worked as a federal administrative law judge. He has run unsuccessfully for other judicial posts.
Despite changing demographics and boundaries that have made his district more favorable to Democrats, LaTourette has had little trouble keeping his seat since being elected in 1994. Republican John McCain narrowly won the district in the 2008 presidential contest. LaTourette has said that the recently
redrawn lines encompass a swing territory that could go either way.
All things equal, a wide open race would be an unexpected pickup opportunity for Democrats.
But Blanchard, an accountant from Solon, is not considered a strong candidate.
Though he won his party's nomination unopposed in March, this is at least his 10th try for Congress. In 1994 he lost to then-Rep. Louis Stokes in a Democratic
primary, then lost a Republican primary for the same seat two years later. After returning to the Democrats, Blanchard was the party's nominee against LaTourette in 2000 and 2002, then lost primaries for the seat in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Now that Blanchard is back on a November ballot, he has no intention of stepping aside. He said Tuesday that no Democratic leader has asked him to withdraw. If someone does, the answer will be a flat "no," he added.
"I think it improves my chances of winning the race," he said of LaTourette's retirement.
Stuart Garson, chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, acknowledged that others are interested in the seat now that LaTourette is out of the picture. Garson stressed, though, that Blanchard seems committed to the race.
, a Democrat from Lake County who served six terms in the U.S. House in the 1980s and '90s, said Tuesday that he has received "multiple calls" from people encouraging him to replace Blanchard on the ballot.
"I tell these people we already have a nominee," Eckart said. "And I left this job once before."
Another Democrat mentioned:
. The lawyer and former chairman of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority considered a bid against LaTourette in 2010 but never pulled the trigger. He could not be reached Tuesday.
Officials at the Ohio Democratic Party did not respond directly to The Plain Dealer's questions about Blanchard's candidacy. Party Chairman Chris Redfern instead released a statement asserting that Ohio Republicans "are in complete disarray" because of LaTourette's decision. But Redfern nearly conceded 2012 and made no mention of Blanchard.
Voters, he said, "will rally to elect a Democrat to Congress in this seat, whether it's this year, or in 2014."