Newly Elected Ohio Justice Is Surprised After Low-Budget Win; Slogan Was 'No Money from Nobody'
A candidate for the Ohio Supreme Court has eked out a win with a campaign budget of only $4,000.
William O’Neill had shunned campaign donations and campaigned on the theme “no money from nobody,” the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. A former trial lawyer and appeals court judge, his current job was as an emergency room nurse.
He fought long odds throughout the campaign. The Democratic Party supported O’Neill’s opponent in the primary, while the GOP financed an ad that accused O’Neill of being soft on rapists. O’Neill’s general election opponent, Justice Robert Cupp, had denounced the ad, the Toledo Blade reported.
O’Neill told the Plain Dealer he thinks the ad “blew up” and helped him win. He also thinks his message on the corrosive effect of money on politics resonated with voters.
Nonetheless, O’Neill sounded as surprised as anyone by his victory, the Plain Dealer says. “I’m shocked myself,” he told the newspaper.
