Although Summit County Republican chairman Alex Arshinkoff believes LaRose would have some ballot appeal as a young Marine back from Middle East conflicts, he also cautions that the book is still wide open with several other "potential candidates" still in the mix. That would include a Hudson industrialist who might run in the Republican District.
Although Arshinkoff doesn't precisely say so, the biggest determining factor will be, who can put up the cash for his or her own race. Some of the big Republican business and corporate contributors are retreating from heavy commitments to any candidate. "It's all the bigger challenge to our party," he says, "because we're not in power anymore. The other guys are running things at the state and national level. Today we have people who used to have $90 million, but only have $9 million now because of the market and they don't think they're rich."
Arshinkoff used to have the reputation as one of the state's most successful fund-raisers but that's ancient history in today's economy. Apparently the state Republican hierarchy is feeling the pressure on its treasury, too, during the Obama Era and is pressing the party's county chairmen to find new mother lodes to help its state and legislative candidates.
That's not likely to happen unless the GOP starts minting it own cash to bail out its candidates. Or maybe arranging a loan from Limbaugh. .
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