toledoblade.com --

Bradley: The pair supported his presidential campaign.
( ASSOCIATED PRESS )

CLEVELAND - It was payback time yesterday for former Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley, who appeared at a press conference and fund-raiser to offer support to Ohio Rep. Bryan Flannery and Mary Boyle, two candidates for statewide offices who supported his run for national office two years ago.

"I think they are Democrats I can be proud of," said the former New York Knicks superstar-turned-New Jersey senator.

Ms. Boyle is running for state treasurer, and was a co-chairwoman of his Ohio presidential effort. Mr. Flannery is running for secretary of state.

"Mary Boyle is a well-known figure throughout the state of Ohio, and, I think, a beloved figure throughout the state of Ohio," Mr. Bradley said. "She will bring her traditional hard work and integrity and competence to the job. People will recognize those attributes."

Mr. Bradley, a basketball star at Princeton University before joining the National Basketball Association, said he was particularly interested in the Flannery candidacy because Mr. Flannery played on one of the Notre Dame national championship football teams.

"I've just got to say, I am naturally prejudiced to jocks," Mr. Bradley said. "Anyone who gets [famed football coach] Lou Hotlz's endorsement is someone I have to pay attention to.

"He is very responsive to people. He will make an excellent secretary of state. We are very lucky as a party to have him running. I know he will play politics the way he played football, which means he is a winner."

In the 2000 Ohio Democratic presidential primary, Mr. Bradley bucked the party establishment by running against then-Vice President Al Gore. He highlighted weaknesses in the Gore presidential campaign, but, in the end, never won a state.

In the 2000 Ohio Democratic primary election, Mr. Bradley won 25 percent of the vote and no delegates.

"Bill Bradley has welcomed young people not just into government, but into politics," Ms. Boyle said.

"Second, Bill Bradley has spoken up for clean government, for no pay-to-play government, for a way to make sure that campaign finance doesn't wreck our federal government or our local or state government, and that is also important to me."

Mr. Flannery and Ms. Boyle both face similarly tough challenges this year running against entrenched incumbent Republicans in the November election. Mr. Flannery is challenging J. Kenneth Blackwell, while Ms. Boyle is challenging Joe Deters.

However, recent public opinion polls show both Democrats have made inroads into support of the Republicans. Ms. Boyle leads Mr. Deters, while Mr. Flannery has closed to within 12 points of Mr. Blackwell, the latest Ohio Poll from the University of Cincinnati showed.

Republicans have controlled all six statewide executive offices for two elections cycles.

They have controlled the secretary of state's office since 1990, while they have been at the helm of the treasurer's office since early 1994.

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