COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A Democratic lieutenant governorcandidate in Ohio who faced hundreds of
thousands of dollars in stateand federal tax liens dropped out of the race Tuesday, saying hisfinancial
troubles were taking away from debate on important policyissues.State Sen. Eric Kearney, a Cincinnati
attorney, said in astatement that he would no longer be gubernatorial contender EdFitzGerald’s running mate
as FitzGerald challenges Republican Gov. JohnKasich next year."This has come to be a distraction from
adiscussion of the vital issues facing Ohio, and the choice voters mustmake in this election," Kearney
said. "The stakes are too high: We need achange of leadership to move Ohio in a new direction that puts
moreOhioans back to work and builds a better future for our children."Kearney,his wife, Jan-Michele,
and their Cincinnati publishing business, KGLMedia Group, owe roughly $700,000 in state and federal tax
liens. Aforeclosure proceeding, credit card debt and unpaid workers’compensation premiums also had been
revealed in a series of bruisingmedia reports, which also highlighted conflicting accounts about howmuch
FitzGerald knew of the details before Kearney’s selection.Inan interview after the decision, FitzGerald said
the ticket’s inabilityto effectively draw attention to an uptick in Ohio unemployment shortlyafter Kearney’s
candidacy was announced persuaded him the controversyhad become a distraction."We weren’t really able
to even talkabout that or communicate that," he said. "We had to keep talking aboutall the nuances
of these business transactions that this business hadgone through."Kearney said he and his wife remain
committed toKGL, which does business as Sesh Communications, and the CincinnatiHerald, its flagship
publication."We were dedicated to keepingalive one of our nation’s oldest African-American newspapers
andcommitted to our employees and their families," he said.FitzGerald,the Cuyahoga County executive in
Cleveland, said he anticipates pickinga new running mate early in the new year — dismissing
Republicansuggestions that he so mishandled the situation over the past threeweeks that he also should drop
out of the contest.Ohio RepublicanParty spokesman Chris Schrimpf said failing to fully vet Kearney causedthe
flap to escalate, blaming FitzGerald."His lack of judgmentand honesty will haunt him for the remainder
of this campaign," Schrimpfsaid in a statement. "We still don’t know how FitzGerald allowed thisto
happen, but we know the entire time nothing Ed Fitzgerald or the OhioDemocrats have said has been
true."FitzGerald, a former FBIagent, said the controversy set a standard for the campaign of
tyingcandidates to the performance of businesses in which they have a stake,and that won’t bode well for
Kasich, a former managing director offailed investment bank Lehman Brothers."If John Kasich had beenon
my list to be lieutenant governor, I would have disqualified himbased on his business experience,"
FitzGerald said. "Because he ended upsaying he should run for office even though his business
experience waswalking away a millionaire while pensions in Ohio lost a couple hundredmillion dollars after
the business that he was a director of wentbankrupt."That conversation may have to wait until Ohio
Democratsfigure out how to defuse fallout from the Kearney flap withoutalienating key interests, including
black voters and powerfulpoliticians.Shortly after FitzGerald’s Nov. 20 announcement ofKearney as a running
mate, the ticket scored the important endorsementof U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, an influential Cleveland
congresswoman withpull in the city’s powerful, Democrat-dominated black community.Fudgewas aware of
Kearney’s financial situation at the time, said an aide ofhers — meaning the decision to remove him from the
ticket stands achance of backfiring and alienating a popular politician with the powerto get out votes for
FitzGerald. Fudge, chairwoman of the CongressionalBlack Caucus, was in South Africa on Tuesday and
unavailable forcomment.Interest in retaining racial diversity on the FitzGeraldticket had some turning their
attention to the possibility of recruitingOhio House Minority Leader Tracy Maxwell Heard, an up-and-comer on
thestate political scene who is black.Appearing at a news conferenceon Ohio’s economy Tuesday, Heard
declined to address the speculationsurrounding the gubernatorial ticket. She said she was leaving the
topicto "the politicos and pundits to address."FitzGerald said racewas not a determining factor in
selecting Kearney and would not be forpicking his replacement. He said a variety of candidates were
beingconsidered from different parts of the state.___Associated Press writer Ann Sanner contributed to this
report.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten orredistributed.