Ohio's 2010 U.S. Senate Opening: Is Paul Hackett Back?

The 46-year-old lawyer from suburban Cincinnati was squeezed out of the 2006 Senate race to make room for Sherrod Brown, who beat Mike DeWine. With Republican George Voinovich retiring, Hackett's name now should be prominent on any list of Ohio Democrats who may be considering seeking a job in Washington. I had lunch with Hackett today, and he wouldn't say he is going to run. He also avoided saying he isn't. It was clear, though, he still has an interest in the Senate. Just throwing his name around makes people nervous, he said. "I'm not ruling out any possibilities," he says.

Hackett figures a Democrat would have to raise somewhere around $20 million for the 2010 contest. That would be nearly twice as much as he planned to spend in 2006 against DeWine. Hackett has three school age children, a law practice and a wife who is staying home with the kids. He's financially comfortable, but not wealthy. Hackett says he needs to work for an income. Hackett figures Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher is the favorite to get the nomination -- should Fisher seek it -- because Gov. Ted Strickland controls the party machinery. It would be unlikely that Strickland couldn't deliver for his No.2. man. That said, other Cincinnati area Democrats who know Hackett pointed out that Fisher has a history of losing statewide races. He was beat by Betty Montgomery in the 1994 attorney general's race, and lost to Bob Taft in the 1998 gubernatorial contest. Another knock on Fisher -- he's a Cleveland Democrat. The Republicans could paint him as an insider who kept his mouth shut about corruption in Cuyahoga County where the feds are investigating and have searched county offices controlled by Democrats. Hackett seemed most animated about a prospective candidacy of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Youngstown Democrat. He didn't say so directly, but it appears obvious that Hackett believes Ryan would be a strong Senate candidate, probably the strongest in a general election.

Hackett, a Marine reservist, is a major who is likely to be promoted to lieutenant colonel later this year. He is a veteran of the Iraq War. He spoke out early againt President Bush, whom he once called an SOB. Hackett, of course, has never held national office. He ran against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-OH-02, in a 2005 special election. But Schmidt beat him for the House seat that Rob Portman quit in order to to serve in the Bush White House.