Post Poast: Hale takes on Mallory

Facing concerns that his questioned residency may cost him the election, Mike Poast will drop out as the Republican candidate for state representative, to be replaced on the ballot by Kimberly Hale.

Hale's entrance in the race also portends a more aggressive GOP attack on Dale Mallory, who was removed as West End Community Council president this year.

"Dale Mallory, with all of his problems," should be concerned, said Brad Greenberg of the Hamilton County Republican Party.

The 32nd Ohio House District is an open race, as incumbent Catherine Barrett, D-College Hill, faces term limits. The district historically votes 3-to-1 Democratic, and represents the central neighborhoods of Cincinnati, from Queensgate and Downtown on the river to College Hill and Hartwell on the northern city limits.

Mallory is the brother of Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory who, along with father William L. Mallory Sr., has represented the district for much of the last 40 years. The Mallory name was daunting, Poast said.

"I have a tough enough fight with someone who already has his name out there," Poast said today.

But Mallory has been on the receiving end of attacks from his West End neighbors over his support of the Citylink social services mall. Hale was part of a neighborhood coalition that removed Mallory as president of the West End Community Council because of his support for a controversial social services mall.

The Enquirer later reported that Mallory, then a consultant for the Cincinnati Empowerment Corp., was billing the federally funded agency for his work on the project.

Hale's entrance into the race is likely to push that issue to the forefront of the campaign. The 38-year-old is president of the Dayton Street Association in the West End.

"I have a lot of optimism and a really strong grass roots group of supporters," said Hale, business manager of a West side graphic company who also owns a real estate investment company.

The candidate switch also helps Republicans dispel an issue dogging Poast's campaign – a question of whether he lives in the House district. He lived in College Hill when he qualified as a candidate but moved two months later to North College Hill.

When Poast went to vote for himself in the spring primary, he discovered election officials wouldn't let him vote in the race. Poast, 32, a cooking oil salesman, was told his house was just outside the district's boundary.

The GOP is expected to approve Hale as Poast's replacement at its Aug. 21 executive committee meeting, Greenberg said.

Mallory couldn't immediately be reached.