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The passing of
Bob Bennett
From Lyn Bliss
Greenville resident and President of the Ohio Federation of Republican
Women sent these messages to County News Online Saturday. Long-time
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett passed away Dec. 6. He was
75.
Matt Borges, Ohio Republican Party Chairman
Lyn, we’re very saddened to share with you that Bob Bennett passed away
this morning.
Chairman Bennett led Ohio’s Republican Party for more than twenty years
and was a passionate leader who will be remembered as the most
successful state party chairman in Ohio history.
Many of us had the honor of learning from his example and he enjoyed
serving as a mentor to future generations of Republican leaders.
Our prayers go out to his family as they mourn the loss of a great man.
Official State of the Ohio Republican Party
"Our state and party lost one of our all-time great leaders this
morning when Bob Bennett passed away," said ORP Chairman Matt
Borges. "Bob was a Mt. Rushmore figure of Ohio politics. He
delivered our state for Presidents, Governors and Senators. He led our
Party to the position we are in today. It is difficult to imagine
where Ohio and the Ohio Republican Party would be today if we did not
have Bob Bennett. Bringing the Republican National Convention to
Cleveland was the capstone to a political career that may never be
surpassed. Our prayers go out to his family as they mourn the loss of a
great man."
Auditor of State Dave Yost
Darlene and I overnighted in Youngstown with the intention of driving
to Cleveland on the way home today to see the Old Lion of the
Republican Party, Bob Bennett. I knew Bob had been seriously ill,
and was looking forward to seeing my friend and mentor.
I got word Saturday morning that he had passed away while we slept in
Youngstown.
It got me to thinking, as I thought about his life and times, about a
particular moment when our path intersected.
In May 2010, I was flat broke politically. I’d survived a primary
challenge to become the Republican nominee for Auditor of State – but
I’d been forced to spend the little campaign cash I had to get through
the primary. Facing a well-funded, aggressive general
election foe in David Pepper, my race was all but written off by
political observers, operatives and financiers alike.
I called Bob Bennett, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party,
and asked the old lion if he would chair my statewide campaign – no
cash in the bank and six months to go. There was absolutely
nothing in the world in it for him – no reason to tarnish his legendary
record by signing on with a long-shot candidate who would end up being
outspent nearly 3-to-1. He said yes anyway.
It wasn’t the stuff of headlines, but Bennett coming out of retirement
for my campaign created some waves in political circles. Money
didn’t start falling from the sky, but donors who’d been impossible to
reach started to call back. Some took meetings, and many of those
helped the campaign.
Other doors began to open. Afterward, I learned that Bob quietly
urged people to take another look. He had some conversations,
made some calls. My whole team worked hard, none more than
Matt Borges, to win that race in 2010 against all odds. But it
was Bob Bennett’s stature that opened the door enough to make our hard
work count.
One of the secrets, I think, of Bob Bennett’s success was his eye for
talent. The GOP bench was pretty shallow in the years before he
came to power. During his tenure, he never let that happen.
My first casual conversations with him about statewide office occurred
in 2005 – conversations he had many times with many other young
people. He encouraged us all, outlining the daunting path to a
statewide run, then letting us walk it, run it or abandon it.
But to know Bob Bennett only through politics was only to know a
fraction of the man. Among many other passions, Bob loved to
sail. He raced for many years, and after he no longer competed,
he still spent his summers aboard his beloved 50-foot sailboat, the
Avalanche.
Darlene and I had the chance to sail Lake Erie with him several times
over the years. The infinite horizon of the big water, the wind
and the spray seemed a proper backdrop for the man.
I will miss my friend.
Ohio Govenor John Kasich
COLUMBUS - Today Governor John R. Kasich released the following
statement on the passing of former Ohio Republican Party Chairman
Robert T. Bennett.
"I was saddened to learn of the loss of Bob Bennett. Chairman Bennett
was a giant of Ohio and national politics. He was a passionate but
level-headed advocate for his ideas, a gifted leader and someone who
earned the respect of his Democratic opponents even as he was beating
them. He worked hard for his party and state and helped launch the
careers of a generation of Ohio elected officials. My thoughts
and prayers go out to his children and family at this difficult time."
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