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Warren County commissioner files petitions for U.S. House seat

By Ed Richter, Staff Writer Updated 8:51 AM Thursday, January 21, 2010

Warren County commissioner Mike Kilburn will challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Miami Twp. for seat in the May Republican primary.

Kilburn filed his petitions early this afternoon, Jan. 20 at the board of elections in Hamilton County, the most populous in the 2nd Congressional District that covers eastern Warren County and a large portion of several other southern Ohio counties.

Kilburn, a commissioner for 28 years, said it’s time for a more conservative approach in Washington.

“The general public is starving for plain-spoken people who don’t need to check in to see how they should vote,” he said. “I don’t have to check in with anybody.”

“The stars are lining up for me and we’ll get our message out and ride this bus up to Capitol Hill.”

After he filed his petitions, Kilburn said one reporter said the Schmidt camp commented that he was not well-funded to run for the seat.

“Money doesn’t vote. People do,” Kilburn said. “People are sick of money running things in Washington.”

Bruce Fath, Schmidt’s communications director, said the congresswoman “is a steadfast conservative” who votes the way her constituents want. As for Kilburn’s primary challenge, Fath said “the congresswoman is used to it and she’s successfully defeated everyone who’s come up.”

First elected to office in 1982 as the youngest commissioner in the county’s history at age 27, Kilburn, 55, lives in Salem Twp. on a farm.

Kilburn has used his conservative roots and his outspoken comments on conservative spending to get elected. Several times he has been challenged by other Republican candidates, but has won by receiving 60 percent or more of the votes each time.

“People want politicians who are going to stick to their values. There’s no one more fiscally responsible than Mike Kilburn. I don’t like to spend my money and I won’t spend others,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or at erichter@coxohio.com.

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