DEVELOPING : Strickland Considering Goyal, Szollosi for Lt. Governor
Submitted by Anthony Fossaceca on Thu, 08/06/2009 - 8:00am.
OhioDaily has learned that Governor Ted Strickland's search for a Lt. Governor may be nearing completion and his short list includes at least two members of the House leadership team : Mansfield-area Representative Jay Goyal, and Toledo-area Representative Matt Szollosi. Goyal is the House Majority Whip and Szollosi serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore.
In 2006, Goyal became the first Asian-American elected to the Ohio Legislature, and at his current age of 29 would likely become one of the youngest (if not the youngest) Lt. Governors in the country. In addition to serving as Majority Whip, Goyal is Vice President of Goyal Industries, a manufacturing firm in Mansfield specializing in metal fabrication and transportation equipment. His full bio appears on his campaign website here, but it doesn't mention that Bibi Magazine, "the largest-circulated South Asian fashion magazine in the country," named Goyal as one of the Bibi Sexy 7 : the 2007 Sexiest Men of the Year.
Top that John Kasich.
Matt Szollosi, at 37, carries with him one of Lucas County's best known names. In addition to being a second-term member of the House, and a former four-term councilman in Oregon, Ohio, Szollosi's grandfather served as Lucas County Commissioner, his parents on the Oregon School Board, and his brother has been elected twice to Toledo City Council. He is a partner at the Cosme, D'Angelo & Szollosi law firm in Toledo specializing in labor law.
What the move to consider Goyal or Szollosi would seem to suggest is the Governor is still seeking someone with considerable youth and a like-mindedness on issues. Tim Ryan was the obvious match for this profile before, but other factors kept that from happening. Jennifer Garrison was also rumored to be close to locking down this role, but considerable pushback from the LGBT community shot down the trial balloon shortly after takeoff. Should our sources prove correct, and Goyal or Szollosi be named to the ticket, it could energize the party and pump some air back into the stagnant Strickland approval numbers. But such a pick comes with some risk. (Sound familiar?) Voters could find a youthful pick in a time of economic instability to be a dangerous proposition. Others might welcome the change, hoping for a fresh perspective. Either way, it would likely be the talk of Columbus for the balance of the fall as we roll into the cold days of February and John Kasich finds himself in the spotlight as he selects a running mate prior to the filing deadline.
I can't say
I know anything about either of these guys, although I've heard Matt Szollosi's name before. I'll need to learn a lot more.
Great!
Having met both of these men, I'm more than a little bit excited that the Strickland short list is shaping up this way. In either case, we're looking at the near-term future of the upper levels of Ohio Democratic politics, and it's nice to hear names being mentioned for high leadership who are under 40.
Matt Szollosi has been a loyal foot solider in the House for a while now, and his assent to leadership follows his own pedigree and tenacity.
Of the two, though, I must say my preference at the moment is Jay Goyal. Being elected as a Democrat in Mansfield is no easy task, and being elected as a Democrat of color is even rarer. Add to that the fact that he was only 26 at the time of his election, and I think you begin to see why so many are high on his political acumen. He has done nothing be lead since arriving at the Statehouse, and I'm confident he would do an admirable job serving as Lt. Gov. (and, if the Director of Development portfolio returned to that office, his business background would be more than a little helpful).
We'll see where Ted takes this, but on the whole I think these are two incredible choices. Kudos to Gov. Strickland for being so forward thinking about the Party's future.
* * *
Conservative? Liberal? Ohioan.
http://buckeyepunditeers.blogspot.com
As a resident of the Mansfield area
I'm pumped to hear Goyal's name mentioned. I don't know anything about the other guy, but if he's anything like Goyal this looks like a win/win choice.