If you were to believe some West Side Republicans, State Rep. Denise Driehaus is caught in a predicament that would do Romeo and Juliet proud. The Price Hill version of this tale has Driehaus supposedly asking the Hamilton County Board of Elections if she can deny her father and change her last name on the Nov. 2 ballot, instead using the surname of her husband, Zeek Childers.  

A federal appeals court recently made a groundbreaking decision that will change the way judicial candidates run for office in Kentucky and has some experts worried about how it could potentially impact Ohio judicial elections and the impartiality of judges. The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the rules used in Kentucky for electing judges, stating the current rules violate the candidates' First Amendment right to freedom of speech.   

While it's true that some local Democrats dislike Tim Burke, calling him imperious and secretive, they're also aware the Hamilton County Democratic Party chairman knows the ins and outs of the political system like few others. That's what has kept him in power for 16 years.  

Just weeks after winning his third term on Cincinnati City Council, Cecil Thomas surprised most political observers by announcing he would seek the Democratic nomination to run for the Hamilton County Commission seat being vacated by David Pepper. Party Chair Tim Burke is favoring Thomas over previously announced Democratic candidate Jim Tarbell, hoping Thomas will help mobilize African-American voters to provide a much-needed boost for U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Price Hill).  

When a Jan. 25 e-mail exchange between Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune and Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke became public through a leak, it lifted the veil on the thinking of some political bigwigs. The pair began the exchange to discuss who should be appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Elections and ended up opening an ugly window into inter-party dealings and behind-the-scenes jockeying.  

For the last few weeks, prominent leaders in the local Democratic Party have been privately talking about a dispute between Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and first-time council candidate Tony Fischer that could have serious consequences for Fischer's campaign. Well-connected sources at City Hall and within the Democratic Party say Mallory and Fischer recently had a stern confrontation during a meeting of the party's slate of candidates for City Council. Mallory told Fischer (a one-time political protege of sorts) not to mention Mallory's name or use the mayor's image on Fischer's Web site or in any campaign literature.   

On July 8, an interesting private meeting will occur that could influence who sits on Cincinnati City Council next year. At the request of Mayor Mark Mallory, a high-powered group of Democratic officials will convene behind closed doors to discuss growing discord on council. He called the session after CityBeat's blog reported last week that some Democratic Party precinct executives were angry about recent actions taken by Councilman Jeff Berding, a Democrat who's running for his third term. Those precinct executives are trying to build support for calling for a special meeting of the party's Executive Committee to rescind Berding’s endorsement.  

If you think voters always determine who occupies a seat on Cincinnati City Council, think again. Some of the most memorable names in Queen City politics got their entry to City Hall by means other than winning at the ballot box, including Jim Tarbell, Todd Portune, John Cranley, Roxanne Qualls and Dwight Tillery, among others. Now City Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz is asking her colleagues to place a charter amendment on the ballot that would seek to change how council vacancies are filled. She says her proposal is fairer to voters than the current system for selecting replacements.