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Ken Blackwell

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Ken Blackwell
Blackwell in 2011
48th Secretary of State of Ohio
In office
January 8, 1999 – January 8, 2007
GovernorNancy Hollister
Bob Taft
Preceded byBob Taft
Succeeded byJennifer Brunner
43rd Treasurer of Ohio
In office
March 1, 1994 – January 8, 1999
GovernorGeorge Voinovich
Nancy Hollister
Preceded byMary Ellen Withrow
Succeeded byJoe Deters
Mayor of Cincinnati
In office
1979–1980
Preceded byBobbie Sterne
Succeeded byDavid Mann
Personal details
BornJohn Kenneth Blackwell
(1948-02-28) February 28, 1948 (age 78)
Alliance, Ohio, U.S.
PartyRepublican
EducationXavier University (BS, MEd)

John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1948) is an American politician, author, and conservative activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio (1979–1980), the Ohio state treasurer (1994–1999), and Ohio secretary of state (1999–2007). He was the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio in 2006, the first African American major-party candidate for governor of Ohio. He is a senior fellow at the Family Research Council.[1] He is vice president of the executive committee of the Council For National Policy[2] and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[3]

Early life and education

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Blackwell was born in Alliance, Ohio, the son of Dana, a part-time nurse, and George Blackwell, a meat packer. He has two brothers, Carl and Charles. He married his wife, Rosa, in 1969 while he was in college. They have three children. Blackwell is the nephew of Olympic long-jumper DeHart Hubbard, who was the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual Olympic event, jumping more than 24 feet at the 1924 Paris Olympics.[4]

Blackwell grew up in the Avondale and West End neighborhoods in Cincinnati. He attended Samuel Ach Junior High School and graduated from Hughes High School, where he met his future wife.[5][6]

Blackwell attended Xavier University in Cincinnati on a football scholarship. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Xavier in 1970 and his Master of Education degree, also from Xavier, in 1971. After college, he was invited to the Dallas Cowboys' training camp; he gave up football when told he would have to convert from linebacker to offensive lineman.[7] He taught at Xavier from 1974 to 1991.

He has served as a trustee of Wilberforce University and Wilmington College. On April 25, 1987, Blackwell was made a Mason-on-Sight by Grand Master Odes J. Kyle Jr. of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio; thereby making him a Prince Hall Freemason.[8] This African-American branch of Freemasonry was founded in the 19th century.

Early political career

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Blackwell with President George H. W. Bush in 1990

Blackwell became involved in politics through the Charter Committee, Cincinnati's third party. He was subsequently elected to and served on the Cincinnati city council. In 1978, he was elected as the mayor of Cincinnati, serving into 1980. One of his first priorities was to establish a crowd control task force, to study better methods of crowd control and injury prevention. This was in response to the deaths of 11 concert fans at a concert by the British rock group The Who at Riverfront Coliseum on December 3, 1979.

When Blackwell began to consider statewide and national offices, he became a Republican. He was appointed to serve in the administration of President George H. W. Bush as undersecretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a position he held from 1989 to 1990. He returned to Cincinnati to run for the first district seat in the United States House of Representatives which was being vacated by Tom Luken. Blackwell lost to Luken's son, Charlie Luken, by a narrow 51% to 49% margin. Following his close defeat, Blackwell was appointed by President Bush as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Blackwell served in that post from 1992 to 1993.

In 1994, Governor George Voinovich appointed Blackwell as Ohio state treasurer to complete the term of Mary Ellen Withrow. She had been appointed as Treasurer of the United States by President Bill Clinton. Blackwell was elected treasurer in 1994.

Ohio secretary of state (1999–2007)

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Blackwell was elected Ohio secretary of state in 1998. That year, Blackwell considered a run for governor, but Ohio Republican Party chairman Robert T. Bennett persuaded Blackwell to run for secretary of state instead, leaving the governorship open to Bob Taft.[citation needed] Blackwell was national chairman of longtime friend Steve Forbes' presidential campaign in 2000.[9] Blackwell was re-elected secretary of state in 2002; in his re-election campaign, Blackwell took the position that he would favor abortions in the case where the life of the mother was at stake. He has since taken a more conservative position of opposing abortions even in the case where the mother's life is at risk.[10]

As Ohio's secretary of state and chief elections officer during the 2004 presidential election, Blackwell also served as an honorary co-chair of President George W. Bush's campaign. He drew significant controversy for enforcing a state law limiting provisional ballots and directing poll workers to withhold them unless a voter's residence was confirmed, a policy the Democratic Party sued over as a violation of the Help America Vote Act.[11] A federal district court rejected Blackwell's policy, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part.[12] Blackwell was subsequently asked by Democratic House Judiciary Committee members to testify about Ohio's election.(pdf) (pdf) (pdf) (pdf) On December 27, 2004, Blackwell requested a court order to protect him from being interviewed in the Moss v. Bush case, a challenge of the presidential vote. He fought a subpoena, arguing that the litigation was frivolous.[13] A report written by the ranking House Judiciary Committee member John Conyers, a Democrat, blamed Blackwell for "massive and unprecedented voter irregularities and anomalies in Ohio."[14][15]

In 2005, Blackwell supported keeping Terri Schiavo on life support, saying, "I really do think that life is sacred, no matter how painful." When asked on Hardball with Chris Matthews if he would keep Schiavo on life support for 30 years, Blackwell said he would.

Blackwell's office twice accidentally exposed the Social Security numbers of Ohio citizens: first in March 2006, when 1.2 million numbers were published online alongside business filings, prompting a class-action lawsuit that was settled after the data was removed and safeguards were put in place;[16][17][18] and again in April 2006, when computer disks containing the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of 5.7 million registered voters were inadvertently mailed out under a routine Freedom of Information Act release.[19] The second incident triggered an investigation by Republican Attorney General Jim Petro, who pledged "maximum due diligence" to ensure the data had not been copied before being returned.[20][21]

Ohio state senator Jeff Jacobson asked Blackwell in July 2003 to disqualify Diebold Election Systems' bid to supply voting machines for the state after security problems were discovered in its software.[22] On April 4, 2006, the Columbus Dispatch reported that Blackwell "owned stock [83 shares, down from 178 shares purchased in January 2005] in Diebold, a voting-machine [and ATM] manufacturer. After discovering the stock ownership, Blackwell promptly sold the shares at a loss."[23] He attributed the purchase to an unidentified financial manager at Credit Suisse First Boston who he said had, without his knowledge, violated his instructions to avoid potential conflict of interest.[24] When Cuyahoga County's primary was held on May 2, 2006, officials ordered the hand-counting of more than 18,000 paper ballots after Diebold's new optical scan machines produced inconsistent tabulations. Blackwell ordered an investigation by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.[25]

2006 Ohio gubernatorial campaign

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Main article: 2006 Ohio gubernatorial election

Primary election

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Blackwell won the Republican primary on May 2, 2006, against Ohio attorney general Jim Petro with 56% of the vote.[26] The run up to the primaries was dominated by strongly critical television ads that Blackwell and his opponent Jim Petro ran against one another.[27] Blackwell was criticized by Petro for declining to engage in three planned debates which had been organized by the Dayton Daily News and the City Club of Cleveland. According to The Columbus Dispatch, "Blackwell said he has 'shared plenty of forums' with Petro and that he wants to focus on talking to Republicans in the final days of the campaign."[28]

On April 29, the Hamilton County Democrats publicly demanded that Blackwell pull radio ads which urged unregistered Democrats to ask for Republican primary ballots on May 2, 2006, rather than issues-only ballots. The Democrats argued that the ads are using "illegal and unethical political tactics."[29]

During the primary, Blackwell led the Republican candidates in fundraising. He raised $1.09 million between January 31, 2006, and April 12, 2006, from approximately 12,000 individuals and businesses.[30] Blackwell, along with 14 other candidates including Petro and Democratic nominee Ted Strickland were accused by the Ohio Citizen Action group of failing to meet Ohio's campaign contribution law which requires best efforts to disclose the names, addresses, employment status, employer, and place of employment of individuals who donate $100 or more to a political campaign. Blackwell, Petro, and Strickland all received a "B letter grade" from the group for their levels of disclosure.[31]

On April 16, 2006, the Toledo Blade reported that Blackwell had accepted more than $1 million in campaign contributions from "employees of firms seeking business with the statewide offices he's held over the past 12 years." Furthermore, the same organizations donated $1.34 million to the Ohio Republican Party, $1.29 million of which was forwarded directly to Blackwell's campaign fund. Several of the firms which have been awarded contracts from Blackwell's office have also been hired on to his gubernatorial campaign. The investigators argue that the suggestion of quid pro quo based on the actions of contributors raise an issue of a serious conflict of interest. Petro responded by demanding a law which bans political contributors from being awarded state contracts. Blackwell has stated that no illegal activity took place. In response to Petro's call for reform, Blackwell stated: "If you are asking me ... 'Am I advocating for campaign spending limits?' No. Never have. Never will."[32]

General election

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Blackwell's opponents in the general election were Democratic nominee Congressman Ted Strickland, Libertarian nominee and professor emeritus Bill Peirce, and Green Party nominee Bob Fitrakis. Blackwell chose Ohio state representative Tom Raga to be his running mate. Blackwell was the first African American to be nominated by a major political party as a candidate for the Ohio governorship. After winning their respective primaries, both Blackwell and Strickland were able to raise record sums, in part because of the national attention paid to the race. As of September 9, 2006, Strickland led Blackwell, $11.2 million to $10 million.[33] On November 7, 2006, Strickland defeated Blackwell by a 24% margin.[34]

There had been increased national attention on the ability of the Republican Party to maintain control in Ohio. On a national level, The New York Times suggested that the results of the election would be a bellwether for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.[35] According to a broad survey reported by The Plain Dealer on April 30, 2006, Ohio voters would "prefer to see a Democrat occupy the governor's mansion."[36][37] John Stemberger, president and general counsel for the Florida Family Policy Council, however, was quoted as saying that Blackwell could "potentially be president of the United States someday, and the first black president at that."[38][39]

Blackwell was well supported by many religious leaders in Ohio both politically and financially; according to campaign filings, he had received $25,031 from clergy, more than 27 times as much as his opponent Strickland.[40] However, on January 16, 2006, a group of 31 pastors wrote a 13-page letter to the IRS alleging that Blackwell had enjoyed "special treatment" by two Ohio megachurches, World Harvest Church and Fairfield Christian Church, accusing them of sponsoring at least nine events with Blackwell as the sole invited politician and distributing biased voting guides. Pastor Russell Johnson defended his actions by saying he was giving Blackwell "an award for courageous leadership," while Blackwell called the complaining pastors "bullies."[41] Blackwell later called the group of 31 pastors "bullies."[28] On April 19, 2006, emails sent on behalf of the Blackwell campaign by Johnson on Easter Sunday were reported by The Columbus Dispatch; though both the campaign and Johnson denied wrongdoing, the emails were later publicized showing they had been sent from within Johnson's church office to church personnel and employees of the church-owned Fairfield Christian Academy.[42] [43][non-primary source needed]

As 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, both churches were explicitly barred from campaigning for or endorsing candidates.[41][44] Johnson and Rod Parsley of World Harvest argued the IRS investigation was politically motivated and violated their free speech rights, but IRS Commissioner Mark Everson responded that there is no "automatic or constitutional right to a tax exemption."[41] On May 7, 2006, members of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Columbus publicly complained that Blackwell's campaign workers had placed fliers on windshields during a church service two days before the primary; pastor Rev. Jim Wilson stated the tactic "suggested the church was endorsing Blackwell," though the campaign dismissed it as standard practice for both parties.[28]

Later career

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Blackwell speaking at the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference

Blackwell is a member of the Council For National Policy and as of 2022 is vice president of the group's executive committee.[2]

On May 14, 2007, Blackwell was appointed a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, a conservative group.[45] In October 2011, the National Federation of Republican Assemblies elected Blackwell their executive vice president; Blackwell was re-elected in September 2013.[citation needed] The Family Research Council identified Blackwell as a senior fellow for family empowerment in 2012.[1] As of 2015, he was a member of the National Rifle Association's board of directors.[46]

During the first presidential transition of Donald Trump, Blackwell led appointment selections for positions involving domestic issues.[47]

2009 RNC chairmanship election

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Blackwell announced his intentions to run in the 2009 RNC chairmanship election, but withdrew after the 4th round of voting. He won early endorsement from the state chairmen in Louisiana (Roger F. Villere, Jr.), Texas (Tina Benkiser), and Oklahoma (Gary Jones).[citation needed]

RNC chairman vote Source: CQPolitics.[48] and Poll Pundit[49]

Candidate Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6
Michael Steele 46 48 51 60 79 91
Katon Dawson 28 29 34 62 69 77
Saul Anuzis 22 24 24 31 20 Withdrew
Ken Blackwell 20 19 15 15 Withdrew
Mike Duncan 52 48 44 Withdrew
  Candidate won that Round of voting
  Candidate withdrew
 Candidate won RNC Chairmanship

Bibliography

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  • Rebuilding America: A Prescription for Creating Strong Families, Building the Wealth of Working People, and Ending Welfare. WND Books, 2006. ISBN 1-58182-501-3 (with Jerome R. Corsi)
  • The Blueprint: Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency. Lyons Press, 2010. ISBN 0-7627-6134-2 (with Ken Klukowski)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment". Frc.org. Family Research Council. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Nelson, Anne (August 26, 2022). "A Rare Peek Inside the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy". The New Republic. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022.
  3. ^ Walton, Bill (2023). "KENNETH BLACKWELL". thebillwaltonshow.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Ohio Olympian who made history in Paris 100 years ago". July 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Horstman, Barry M. (September 1, 1977). "Research provides game plan". The Cincinnati Post. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Kemme, Steve (July 20, 1986). "Ken Blackwell: Reveling in the heat of limelight". The Cincinnati Enquirer. pp. A-1, A-4 – via Newspapers.com. [1]
  7. ^ Malanga, Steven (Winter 2006). "Ronald Reagan's Unlikely Heir". City. Manhattan Institute. Archived from the original on February 3, 2006.
  8. ^ Gray, David (2012). The History of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM 1971–2011: The Fabric of Freemasonry. Columbus, Ohio: Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-615-63295-7. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Gizzi, John (January 28, 2005). "Conservative Star, Ken Blackwell, Is on the Rise in Ohio". HumanEvents.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  10. ^ [2] Archived May 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Ohio provisional ballot ruling reversed". USA Today. October 23, 2004. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  12. ^ "Defiant Blackwell rips judge". Enquirer.com. October 22, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  13. ^ Welsh-Huggins, Andrew (December 28, 2004). "The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Ohio voting official fights subpoena". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2004.
  14. ^ Vidal, Gore (October 28, 2019). "Something Rotten in Ohio - The National". Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Conyers, John. "Executive Summary. In What Went Wrong in Ohio: The Conyers Report on the 2004 Presidential Election" (PDF). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  16. ^ [3] Archived August 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com". Cincinnati.com.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com". Cincinnati.com.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ Weiss, Todd R. (April 28, 2006). "Ohio recalls voter registration CDs; Social Security numbers included". Computerworld. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021.
  20. ^ "Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds". The Columbus Dispatch. October 27, 1980. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  21. ^ Northeast Ohio (November 1, 2011). "Northeast Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  22. ^ US-CERT Cyber Security Bulletin SB04-252 Archived June 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Summary of Security Items from September 1 through September 7, 2004
  23. ^ Niquette, Mark (April 4, 2006). "Blackwell reports shares in Diebold". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  24. ^ "Improper stock buy reported". The Vindicator. Associated Press. April 4, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  25. ^ [4] Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ [5] Archived August 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ Northeast Ohio (November 1, 2011). "Northeast Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  28. ^ a b c "Central Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds". The Columbus Dispatch. October 27, 1980. Retrieved October 27, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  29. ^ "Hamilton Co. Democrats Want Blackwell to Pull Radio Ads". August 21, 2006. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  30. ^ "Archived copy". www.cleveland.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ Northeast Ohio (November 1, 2011). "Northeast Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  32. ^ "Blackwell defends campaign donations". Toledo Blade. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  33. ^ "cantonrep.com". September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  34. ^ "2006 Election Results". November 9, 2006. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006.
  35. ^ "In the Race for Ohio Governor, All Sides Agree on a Need for Change". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  36. ^ Northeast Ohio (November 1, 2011). "Northeast Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  37. ^ Urbina, Ian (April 21, 2006). "In the Race for Ohio Governor, All Sides Agree on a Need for Change". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  38. ^ [6][dead link]
  39. ^ Tankersleyblade, Jim (July 23, 2006). "Republican tactics in Ohio echo political ploys of '04". Toledo Blade. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  40. ^ Dayton Daily News[dead link]
  41. ^ a b c "IRS scrutinizing charities' political work". The Boston Globe. April 29, 2006.
  42. ^ [7] Archived May 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ [8] Archived March 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ [9]
  45. ^ "Family Research Council". May 13, 2007. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  46. ^ "These Are the People Who Really Run the NRA". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015.
  47. ^ Romm, Tony (November 11, 2016). "New details emerge on Trump transition organization". Politico. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  48. ^ CQ Politics (January 30, 2009). "Republican Choose Michael Steele as Party Chairman". Archived from the original on February 3, 2009.
  49. ^ PollPundit.com (January 30, 2009). "RNC Chairman Vote: Live Coverage". Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
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