Brunner Lands Celeste Endorsement, Should Immediately Pick His Brain

Christopher Celeste, who at one time explored a run for the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, yesterday threw his support behind Jennifer Brunner in her race against Lee Fisher. In his letter, emailed at least twice to my inbox by the Brunner campaign, Celeste talks about the need for bold leaders and cites Brunner as someone poised to rise to the challenge.

Again and again, we face changing realities in our communities whose scale and complexity require political leadership at the federal level capable of sustained, creative--at times even courageous--reinvention. In my opinion, this isn't just about electing one party versus the other. It's about electing one type of leader versus another. Like our recently elected president, what we need is a leader with the courage to lead, especially when the path ahead may be challenging or unpopular. Not just another politician (Democrat or Republican) with a "wait-and-see" attitude.



As it turns out, much like in the last Presidential primary, two well-regarded and experienced officeholders are now making their case to Democratic primary voters about why they should be the party's nominee in the Fall. They are both formidable politicians who have won statewide, and worked long and hard on behalf of Ohioans. And while I respect both Lee and Jennifer for their commitment to public service, after much thought, I have decided to support, invest in and personally work on behalf of Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic Primary for the United States Senate.

I met with Celeste earlier this year to talk with him about his interest in the race and how he'd approach the campaign, and came away impressed. Of all the potential candidates who have now put their dreams to rest, Celeste certainly had the most unique perspective of the role of the next Senator and what it would take to get there.

Of the hundreds of candidates I've talked to over the years, only a handful clearly grasped the concept of a modern campaign. Celeste is near the top of that list. If the Brunner campaign wants to continue to capture the imagination of the Ohio blogosphere and voters under 30 (or older ones like me approaching 40), they'd be wise to engage Celeste and pick his brain. He may not be in the race, but could still impact the outcome.