Rep. Ted Celeste Earns Dispatch Endorsement

Congratulations to Ted Celeste on his endorsement by the Columbus Dispatch:

For General Assembly: Ted Celeste, Dan Stewart, Tracy Heard
Three incumbents in 24th, 25th and 26th districts merit another House term
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 3:18 AM

As state lawmakers and the governor continue to grapple with problems such as Ohio's stagnant economy, school funding and a huge projected budget shortfall, incumbent state Reps. Ted Celeste, Dan Stewart and Tracy Heard have the experience to help.

• In the 24th District, which includes Grandview Heights, Marble Cliff, Upper Arlington and Valleyview, The Dispatch endorses first-term Democratic incumbent Ted Celeste.

Celeste, the younger brother of former Ohio Gov. Richard F. Celeste, has demonstrated the ability to reach out to majority Republicans in the legislature. He has made mental-health issues his specialty. He sponsored bills to cover treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder for military personnel, increase state services for families with autistic children and expand mental-health coverage to include drug and alcohol treatment. He is a former member of the Ohio State University board of trustees and is a longtime businessman, giving him a solid understanding of the state's higher-education needs and of the problems facing business owners.

He avoided negative ads in winning this seat in 2006 and continued that in this year's campaign against Republican Tim Rankin, who served two four-year terms on the Upper Arlington City Council.

He avoided negative ads in winning his seat in 2006 and continued that in this year's campaign. . ."