Sen. Eric Kearney has stepped down from next year’s Democratic ticket after continuing criticism over hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid back taxes.
Sen. Kearney of Cincinnati told Ann Thompson with WVXU that he was stepping aside as Ed FitzGerald’s running mate, because he didn’t want to be a distraction to the campaign.
“I don’t want our business, the Cincinnati Herald, to be the focus of the campaign – rather, I want issues, so that’s why I made the decision,” said Kearney.
FitzGerald confirmed that Kearney had told him of his financial situation, but says they made the decision for Kearney to leave the ticket together, and now FitzGerald wants to change the conversation surrounding his campaign.
“All the polls have shown the race getting closer and closer and closer, and I think they know that. And I think we have enough time to get our feet back on the ground and start talking about the issues that people really care about.”
FitzGerald says while the selection of Kearney wasn’t rushed, he won’t announce a replacement for Kearney till sometime in January.