Joy Padgett
Encyclopedia
Joy Padgett is a former Republican
member of the Ohio Senate
, representing the 20th district until the end of 2008. In 2006, dogged by personal scandals, she ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
and for Congress in . Her run for Congress was the result of the decision of Bob Ney
to bow out of the race and plead guilty to corruption charges.
's administration. Before that, she served from 1993 to 1999 in the Ohio House of Representatives and, prior to that, had been a school teacher.
In her 2004 bid for her first full term in the Ohio Senate
, Padgett was challenged by Democrat
Terry Anderson of Athens, Ohio
, who in the 1980s had been held hostage by Islamic radicals in Lebanon
when working on a story for the Associated Press. Much of her campaign centered on social issues, namely that of same sex marriage. They stated that if Anderson were elected he would allow gays to get married. These ads were typically played with the theme song of Twilight Zone saying "...men marrying men, women marrying women... What kind of world does Terry Anderson want?" Many of these commercials were considered homophobic, and drew attention and condemnation. Other ads attempted to smear Terry Anderson as a terrorist sympathizer, often ignoring the truth about his imprisonment.
The match-up was the only seriously contested Ohio Senate race in 2004. Padgett won re-election with 54 percent of the vote.
business began experiencing financial troubles in 1999; it went from 40 employees to about eight when it closed in 2006.
In August 2004, the Small Business Administration
gave the business a $737,000 loan guarantee on a loan from the JP Morgan Chase Bank. On the same day, the Padgetts renegotiated a three-year-old loan for $100,000 from the Home Loan Savings Bank in Coshocton. In October 2005, the Padgetts filed for bankruptcy for their business and defaulted on the two loans. The bankruptcy filing was subsequently tossed out by a federal judge when the Padgetts violated a court order.
On June 15, 2006, the Padgetts filed for personal bankruptcy
, listing $1.16 million in debts against $202,143 in assets. Joy Padgett said most of the debt came from Main Office Supply Co. As of September 8, the Padgetts owed at least $20,000 on the local loan, and more than $720,000 on the federally guaranteed loan.
's campaign for Governor as a Regional Chair and worked on his behalf while he and Lt. Governor candidate Phil Heimlich campaigned. In January 2006, following Heimlich's decision to leave the ticket in order to run for re-election as a Hamilton County
Commissioner, Petro named Padgett his running mate as candidate for Lt. Governor.
The primary election was held on May 2, 2006. Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell
and State Representative Tom Raga were victorious over the Petro/Padgett team.
announced he was withdrawing his candidacy in the 2006 election. Padgett announced that Ney and House Majority Leader John Boehner
, who represents another district in Ohio, had asked her to run in his place.
On August 14, 2006, Ney officially withdrew from the race for Congress. Because that occurred before August 19 (80 or more days before the election), Ohio Revised Code 3513.312 applied, thus requiring "the vacancy in the party nomination so created shall be filled by a special election." If Ney had waited until August 20, section 3513.31 of the Ohio Revised Code would have pertained and Ney's replacement in the November general election could have been named by a district committee of the Ohio Republican party.
On August 10, Ohio Attorney General
Jim Petro
ruled that the "sore loser" provision in Ohio law (ORC 3513.04, which says that "No person who seeks party nomination for an office or position at a primary election by declaration of candidacy or by declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate ... shall be permitted to become a candidate by nominating petition or by declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate at the following general election") did not apply to Padgett running for Ney's seat because it is for a different office. Padgett was a losing candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the May 2006 primary (she was paired with Petro, who was running for Governor.)
Some argued that Padgett was subject to another law—a provision put into the state's budget bill in 2005 by Republicans. That provision (ORC section 3513.052(B)) prevents someone from running for office "if that person, for the same election, has already filed a declaration of candidacy, a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, or a nominating petition, or has become a candidate through party nomination at a primary election or by the filling of a vacancy." Petro's office was not asked for an opinion on that matter.
The Ohio Democratic Party initially indicated that it would contest Padgett's eligibility by filing a lawsuit when she became a candidate. However, on August 18, the party said that it would not, because Padgett faces six opponents in the special primary and avoiding a lawsuit will save money for their fall campaign. But a brother to one of those six candidates filed a protest before the August 19 deadline.
The Tuscarawas County elections board heard the complaint on August 20 and voted 2-1 along party lines to reject it. One Democrat, Socrates Space, abstained from voting because of a conflict of interest; his son is the Democratic nominee in the same race.
Padgett originally faced seven Republican opponents in the special primary on September 14. But on August 22, Dover
mayor Rick Homrighausen announced he would withdraw and endorsed Padgett. Ney aide John Bennett also withdrew, and candidate Gregory Zelenitz was rejected by the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections. Padgett overwhelmingly won the primary election with over 9,523 of the 14,065 votes cast.
She faced Zack Space
, a Dover, Ohio
lawyer and hotel developer, in the November general election. Space had won the Democratic primary with 39 percent of the vote. Space easily defeatedt Padgett on November 6, 2006, 129,687 to 79,286.
, R-Albany, announced he would run for the 20th District Senate seat in 2008. Stewart won the seat, and Padgett retired from Ohio politics when her term expired in December 2008.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
, representing the 20th district until the end of 2008. In 2006, dogged by personal scandals, she ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed by impeachment. Before 1852, the president of the Ohio State Senate would serve as acting governor if a vacancy in the governorship...
and for Congress in . Her run for Congress was the result of the decision of Bob Ney
Bob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
to bow out of the race and plead guilty to corruption charges.
Political career
Padgett was first appointed to the Ohio Senate in January 2004 and elected that following November. Prior to her election, she was the Director of the Office of Appalachia in Governor Bob TaftBob Taft
Robert Alphonso "Bob" Taft II is an Ohio Republican Party politician. He was elected to two terms of office as the 67th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio between 1999-2007. After leaving office, Taft started working for the University of Dayton beginning August 15, 2007.-Personal background:Taft...
's administration. Before that, she served from 1993 to 1999 in the Ohio House of Representatives and, prior to that, had been a school teacher.
In her 2004 bid for her first full term in the Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
, Padgett was challenged by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Terry Anderson of Athens, Ohio
Athens, Ohio
Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...
, who in the 1980s had been held hostage by Islamic radicals in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
when working on a story for the Associated Press. Much of her campaign centered on social issues, namely that of same sex marriage. They stated that if Anderson were elected he would allow gays to get married. These ads were typically played with the theme song of Twilight Zone saying "...men marrying men, women marrying women... What kind of world does Terry Anderson want?" Many of these commercials were considered homophobic, and drew attention and condemnation. Other ads attempted to smear Terry Anderson as a terrorist sympathizer, often ignoring the truth about his imprisonment.
The match-up was the only seriously contested Ohio Senate race in 2004. Padgett won re-election with 54 percent of the vote.
Loans, bankruptcies, and transfers
Padgett and her husband Donald were owners of the Main Office Supply Co. Her husband ran the business for three decades; she was the company's treasurer. The CoshoctonCoshocton, Ohio
Coshocton is a city in and the county seat of Coshocton County, Ohio, United States. The population of the city was 11,682 at the 2000 census. The Walhonding River and the Tuscarawas River meet in Coshocton to form the Muskingum River....
business began experiencing financial troubles in 1999; it went from 40 employees to about eight when it closed in 2006.
In August 2004, the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
gave the business a $737,000 loan guarantee on a loan from the JP Morgan Chase Bank. On the same day, the Padgetts renegotiated a three-year-old loan for $100,000 from the Home Loan Savings Bank in Coshocton. In October 2005, the Padgetts filed for bankruptcy for their business and defaulted on the two loans. The bankruptcy filing was subsequently tossed out by a federal judge when the Padgetts violated a court order.
On June 15, 2006, the Padgetts filed for personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy is a procedure which, in certain jurisdictions, allows an individual to declare bankruptcy. In other jurisdictions, bankruptcies are reserved for corporations.-Canada:...
, listing $1.16 million in debts against $202,143 in assets. Joy Padgett said most of the debt came from Main Office Supply Co. As of September 8, the Padgetts owed at least $20,000 on the local loan, and more than $720,000 on the federally guaranteed loan.
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
Early in 2005, Padgett joined Ohio Attorney General Jim PetroJim Petro
James M. “Jim” Petro is an American politician from the Republican Party, and a former Ohio Attorney General. Previously, Petro also served as Ohio State Auditor. Petro was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Ohio during the 2006 Ohio Primaries, but lost to Ken Blackwell...
's campaign for Governor as a Regional Chair and worked on his behalf while he and Lt. Governor candidate Phil Heimlich campaigned. In January 2006, following Heimlich's decision to leave the ticket in order to run for re-election as a Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
Commissioner, Petro named Padgett his running mate as candidate for Lt. Governor.
The primary election was held on May 2, 2006. Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell
Ken Blackwell
John Kenneth Blackwell is an American politician and activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1979 to 1980 and Ohio Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007. A Republican, he was the first African-American to be the candidate for governor of a major party in Ohio. In 2006, Blackwell...
and State Representative Tom Raga were victorious over the Petro/Padgett team.
Republican candidate for Congress
On August 7, 2006, Bob NeyBob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
announced he was withdrawing his candidacy in the 2006 election. Padgett announced that Ney and House Majority Leader John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
, who represents another district in Ohio, had asked her to run in his place.
On August 14, 2006, Ney officially withdrew from the race for Congress. Because that occurred before August 19 (80 or more days before the election), Ohio Revised Code 3513.312 applied, thus requiring "the vacancy in the party nomination so created shall be filled by a special election." If Ney had waited until August 20, section 3513.31 of the Ohio Revised Code would have pertained and Ney's replacement in the November general election could have been named by a district committee of the Ohio Republican party.
On August 10, Ohio Attorney General
Ohio Attorney General
The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Mike DeWine.-History:...
Jim Petro
Jim Petro
James M. “Jim” Petro is an American politician from the Republican Party, and a former Ohio Attorney General. Previously, Petro also served as Ohio State Auditor. Petro was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Ohio during the 2006 Ohio Primaries, but lost to Ken Blackwell...
ruled that the "sore loser" provision in Ohio law (ORC 3513.04, which says that "No person who seeks party nomination for an office or position at a primary election by declaration of candidacy or by declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate ... shall be permitted to become a candidate by nominating petition or by declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate at the following general election") did not apply to Padgett running for Ney's seat because it is for a different office. Padgett was a losing candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the May 2006 primary (she was paired with Petro, who was running for Governor.)
Some argued that Padgett was subject to another law—a provision put into the state's budget bill in 2005 by Republicans. That provision (ORC section 3513.052(B)) prevents someone from running for office "if that person, for the same election, has already filed a declaration of candidacy, a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, or a nominating petition, or has become a candidate through party nomination at a primary election or by the filling of a vacancy." Petro's office was not asked for an opinion on that matter.
The Ohio Democratic Party initially indicated that it would contest Padgett's eligibility by filing a lawsuit when she became a candidate. However, on August 18, the party said that it would not, because Padgett faces six opponents in the special primary and avoiding a lawsuit will save money for their fall campaign. But a brother to one of those six candidates filed a protest before the August 19 deadline.
The Tuscarawas County elections board heard the complaint on August 20 and voted 2-1 along party lines to reject it. One Democrat, Socrates Space, abstained from voting because of a conflict of interest; his son is the Democratic nominee in the same race.
Padgett originally faced seven Republican opponents in the special primary on September 14. But on August 22, Dover
Dover, Ohio
Dover is a city in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,210 at the 2000 census.-History and features:Dover was originally part of a grant to Col. James Morrison of Kentucky, who had received it from the federal government for Revolutionary War services...
mayor Rick Homrighausen announced he would withdraw and endorsed Padgett. Ney aide John Bennett also withdrew, and candidate Gregory Zelenitz was rejected by the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections. Padgett overwhelmingly won the primary election with over 9,523 of the 14,065 votes cast.
She faced Zack Space
Zack Space
Zachary T. "Zack" Space is an American politician and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, a Dover, Ohio
Dover, Ohio
Dover is a city in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,210 at the 2000 census.-History and features:Dover was originally part of a grant to Col. James Morrison of Kentucky, who had received it from the federal government for Revolutionary War services...
lawyer and hotel developer, in the November general election. Space had won the Democratic primary with 39 percent of the vote. Space easily defeatedt Padgett on November 6, 2006, 129,687 to 79,286.
Retirement from Ohio Senate
In September 2007, Padgett announced that she would not run for another term in 2008. Soon after, State Rep. Jimmy StewartJimmy Stewart (Ohio politician)
Jimmy Stewart is a Republican politician who served in the Ohio General Assembly. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2003 to 2008, and in the Ohio Senate from 2009 to 2011....
, R-Albany, announced he would run for the 20th District Senate seat in 2008. Stewart won the seat, and Padgett retired from Ohio politics when her term expired in December 2008.
External links
- Profile on the Ohio Ladies' Gallery website
- Campaign website archived on Archive.org
- Ohio Senate website archived on Archive.org
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Joy Padgett (OH) profile
- Follow the Money - Joy Padgett (state reports)
- Open Secrets - congressional campaign contributions
- Jonathan Riskind and Jim Siegel, "Democrats like Ney’s pick: Ties to beleaguered congressman box in Padgett, some observers say", Columbus Dispatch, August 9, 2006
- Paul Kiel, "Ney Successor on Course for Legal Showdown", TPMMuckracker, August 9, 2006,