Mandel's Primary Challenger On The Attack

By Julie Sobel  //  June 30, 2011 | 10:30 a.m.
Updated: July 5, 2011 | 8:55 a.m.

Though Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel's campaign has gathered momentum over the past week -- with the endorsements of Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and the Club for Growth -- former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin made it clear on a Wednesday afternoon conference call with reporters that he is committed to the race, taking a few direct shots at Mandel.

Coughlin acknowledged that "the Mandel train is picking up steam," but added that "I've been a longtime believer that if you believe that you're the best person for the job, of the people available, then you owe it to yourself to run. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't. And as long as I have money to put gas in the tank, I will be going around Ohio to explain why I am a better candidate for the U.S. Senate. Why I will be a better candidate to go against Sherrod Brown, and why I will be a better member of the U.S. Senate for the state of Ohio."

Coughlin attacked Mandel as no different from "a lot of the other politicians out there that have failed us," and that his ability to raise money is the only thing he has going for him.

"I believe that Josh is a person of some great talent, and will one day develop into a fine leader, but I think at this point the only thing that commends him to this race is that he's an awesome fundraiser," he said.

He also said he was "picking up a lot of reservation" around the state as to whether Mandel was ready to take on the challenges of being a senator.

As for his own fundraising strategy, he said he hoped the Ohio Republican Party would "let the dogs run" and have a fair competition. He tamped down expectations for the fundraising period that ends Thursday night, saying they were focused on the next deadline, in September. "As far as my own fundraising, we're just getting going. We haven't had a single event," Coughlin said. "Obviously we have a quarter coming up here that will end on September 30 that we have a very aggressive fundraising schedule on. Josh has been out to an early lead on that, I know he's had a fundraiser almost every day of this month here in June, somewhere in the country -- from Honolulu to Atlanta to DC and New York, and everywhere in between. And that's fine. We're running our campaign on our terms." He added that his conservative message was connecting well, and that he was confident he would obtain the resources needed to get that message out. Coughlin has lagged in polls taken before former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell said he wouldn't run in the GOP primary late last week. No polls have been taken since Blackwell's announcement.

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