No cake walk for Dale Mallory

There are at least three Democrats in the 32nd Ohio House District who don't believe that Dale Mallory, brother of the mayor, should inherit the state legislative seat his family has held for 32 of the past 40 years.

They filed petitions Tuesday to run against him in the May 2 Democratic primary.

The best known of the three is Eve Bolton of Colllege Hill, the former Hamilton County recorder who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Cincinnati City Council last year.

Eric Wilson, another unsuccessful candidate for council, also filed, along with Yvette Barbara Baldwin, a first-time candidate from University Heights.

Dale Mallory, the West End Community Council filed his petitions earlier in the week. His brother, Mark Mallory, walked into the Hamilton County Board of Elections about 3:30 Thursday to file papers to run for Democratic state central committeeman from the 7th Ohio Senate District.

The mayor, who once held the Ohio House seat, said he was not suprised that the 32nd House District - a central city seat that is heavily Democratic - had drawn a crowd of Democratic candidates.

"It's a unique opportunity,'' the mayor said. "House seats don't open up often.''

It is an open seat because the incumbent Democrat, Catherine Barrett, is term-limited out and is challenging Eric Kearney for the 7th Ohio Senate District seat.