Carlo speaks

Ken Blackwell's spokesman, Carlo LoParo, just held an impromptu news conference with reporters.

"I just talked to Ken Blackwell. He's very excited. The mood here is very electric,'' LoParo said. "The Republican Party will be united tonight.''

A Cleveland TV reporter tells LoParo that the Ted Strickland campaign -- partying with other Democrats uptown at the Hyatt Regency -- has coined a nickname for their opponent: "Taftwell."

LoParo remains unfazed. "Ken Blackwell has a plan to control government spending... We move forward and take a message of job creation to the voters of Ohio. There's a lot of electricity here."

"Where's this electricity he's talking about,'' a photographer with the Akron Beacon Journal joked. "Does he mean the wires on the floor?"

Blackwell is upstairs with his family, watching election returns in a hotel suite. LoParo said the plan is for Blackwell to come down about 10:30 p.m. to talk to supporters and the media, and "start to party."

"We hope we give a victory speech,'' LoParo said.