Independent statewide candidates certified

The Ohio Secretary of State's office has certified the names of independent, non-partisan candidates who gathered at least 5,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

James Lee, spokesman for Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, said the following candidates' names will appear on the ballot without political party designations:

John A. Eastman of Centerville (6,486 valid signatures) and Timothy J. Kettler of Warsaw (6,744 valid signatures) are independent Secretary of State candidates.

More details on Eastman, who is active with the Natural Law Party of Ohio, can be found at
http://www.johneastman.org/

More information on Kettler, a member of the Green Party, can be found at http://www.sostim06.com/ or at http://www.ohiogreens.org/elections/kettler06.html

In the race for Ohio governor, Libertarian Bill Peirce of Mayfield Village and running-mate Mark Noble of Columbus collected 9,389 valid signatures in the race for governor/lieutenant governor. Additional details about Peirce is available at http://peirceforohio.com/

Also certified for the top spot on the Ohio statewide ticket are Robert Fitrakis of Columbus and his lieutenant governor running-mate, Anita Rios of Toledo. They collected 7,853 valid signatures, according to Lee. More information on the Green Party members can be found at http://www.ohiogreens.org/elections/fitrakis06.html

Campaign spokeswoman Dorri Steinhoff said a press conference is set for noon Friday at the basement law office that Fitrakis shares with Columbus attorney Cliff Arnebeck at 341 S. Third Street, Suite 10.

Fitrakis, a political science professor and Free Press reporter, is best known for his legal challenges of the 2004 presidential election results.

The Ohio Green Party voted to endorse Fitrakis and Rios during its convention in February.

Rios is a longtime union activist and community organizer with a background in mental health. She is former chair of the Green Party National Committee. Her parents were Mexican American migrant farm workers.

Steinhoff said her candidates intend to form a rainbow coalition of faithful Greens and independent, progressive people of color. "The Green Party offers a true alternative to the corporate influenced two-party system," she said in a news statement.

The Green, Natural Law, Libertarian and other minor political parties are not recognized in Ohio until they receive 5 percent of the vote during an election. Therefore, their candidates are designated as "Independents" on the Nov. 7 ballot.