Voters in their mid 30s or younger may not know former congressman Bob McEwen. Marching behind the slogan “more jobs, less taxes,” McEwen is again challenging Jean Schmidt in the May 2 primary.
McEwen represented Ohio’s Sixth District in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms beginning in 1981. The time off as a government official has been very beneficial.
“Watching Congress from the outside is educational,” said McEwen. “Spending the last 10 years in the private sector raising a family has been very beneficial.
“I did a good job before (in Congress), but I plan to do more after serving previously as a senior member.”
McEwen was only 30-years-old when he was first elected to a public office more than 20 years ago, serving in the state legislature.
Following Sept. 11, 2001, McEwen took a stand as a lobbyist, working with allies of the U.S. in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to help with the war on terrorism.
As a lobbyist, McEwen also pushed for improvements in Southern Ohio, such as funding for water plants and road improvements.
McEwen thinks the knowledge he gained while representing townships in Southern Ohio obtain funding for such improvements would be beneficial to the people of Ohio’s Second Congressional District.
While serving in Congress, McEwen was elected by his colleagues to the two most coveted positions in U.S. Congress including the Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversaw all the nation’s secrets; and the House Rules Committee, which had jurisdiction over all legislation in Congress.
During his previous Congressional service, McEwen served as Special Presidential Envoy for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. However, McEwen’s previous service in Congress wasn’t always encircled by optimistic accomplishments.
In spring 1991, while serving as a member of Congress, McEwen and approximately 350 other representatives were caught up in the House Bank Scandal.
During last year’s primary a press release surfaced from Congressional candidate Pat DeWine’s office, citing a Dayton Daily News report in 1992 that McEwen bounced 166 checks during the House Banking scandal of the early 1990s.
McEwen told The News Democrat it was the Democrat majority that used the House Bank for unauthorized purposes and a group of Republicans, which included McEwen, requested the matter be looked into.
The group of Republicans demanded a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate the misuse of the House Bank and those having perfect accounts (showing no overdrafts) would be cleared, according to McEwen.
McEwen said he was one of the four who later received letters of exoneration following the scandal, along with Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp and Ed Madison.
“That sort of activity discourages good people from participating in government,” McEwen said of the scandal.
McEwen is married to former Liz Boebinger, originally of Canton. Together they have four children, one of which currently serves as a U.S. Marine.
McEwen said it is essential that the U.S. stand strong in the war on terrorism and felt the U.S. military should be used for it’s original purpose - to protect freedom. However, McEwen said he has no desire to see U.S. troops used to carry out political intentions.
“I do not wish to see the men and women in uniform used for political purposes. There are other sources for that,” said McEwen.
McEwen, formerly of Highland County, now resides in the Eastgate area in Anderson Township.
He currently spends the majority of his time in Cincinnati as the senior advisor with Greenbaum, Doll and McDonald, a leading national law firm with offices in Cincinnati and Washington DC.
When Ohio was redistricted in the 1990s, doing away with the Sixth District, many local people felt that McEwen didn’t get much support from Republicans. After redistricting, McEwen said there was some discretion, but he continued to show strong support for local Republicans and is glad to say that things have changed since then.
“I am pleased that we (Republicans) are finally back together again,” said McEwen.
Many voters in Ohio’s Second Congressional District have received mail pieces from Congresswoman Schmidt as the May 2 primary draws near. McEwen is unfazed by the barrage of mail.
“I think it’s important to get the people’s advice and report on your voting record. I think that’s what was intended when communications were established for congress. I know the taxpayers and they can see the difference when they receive something informational or something to be used for a campaign,” said McEwen.
McEwen promises to concentrate on job creation and lowering of taxes in Ohio.
“Do we want more jobs or more taxes? I believe we need to fight for more jobs,” said McEwen. “She (Schmidt) has taken part in efforts that have taken Ohio from the 30th most taxed state to the third (in the U.S.). All efforts she supports are wrong for southern Ohio.
“Votes for taxes are losing jobs in southern Ohio. The greater the taxes, the greater the poverty.”
If elected, McEwen said he will work hard to encourage jobs for southern Ohio and expand highways such as 62 and 68 to gain benefits from the new bridge in Aberdeen. “I’m a (former) Congressman that cares more about the people than the politics,” he said.
A complaint was filed against McEwen for using “Congressman” rather than “former Congressman” during last year’s special primary election, when he lost to Schmidt.
A hearing on the complaint filed is scheduled in March, but McEwen said he has no intentions to even battle the complaint.
“I don’t need to go by ‘Congressman.’ I would prefer to go by ‘Bob’,” said McEwen.
In the previous meeting of the two candidates, McEwen defeated Schmidt in all counties but one - Clermont.
McEwen recently accepted endorsements from local Republicans Anthony Munoz, Bengals Hall of Famer and community leader in Cincinnati; State Representative Tom Brinkman Jr. of Hamilton County; Rose Vesper, former Ohio State Representative and Clermont County Republican Chairperson; as well as a number of other local Republican leaders within Ohio’s Second Congressional District.
McEwen won the “straw poll” during the Northeastern Republican Club’s Annual Pancake Breakfast on Feb. 18, backed by 14 communities in the Republican nomination for the Second Congressional District.
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