Well the primary election is behind us, and as I said on election night, now the real work begins.  But first, let's savor what just happened.  As many of you know, the decision to run this year was difficult.  While there is no question that I enjoyed my ten years on the bench, there is also no question that my life as a "former Judge" was every bit as satisfying.  But once the decision was made, there was no looking back!  I have never seen so much chaos descend on the O'Neill household in such rapid succession. Perhaps I had forgotten how truly difficult it is to arrange 88 kittens into a row and make them march in an organized herd.  But that's what we did.

The numbers were truly humbling.  Start with 71% of the vote in a contested Democratic primary against a well organized and focused opponent.  I have won elections in the past and I have lost them as well.  Remember, I was the Northeast Ohio coordinator for Lee Fisher when we captured that 1,234 vote statewide landslide in 1990.  So I know what close races look like.  But that was not the case this year.   Our message of "Money And Judges Don't Mix" just took off like a rocket this year.  From the interview at Judge4Yourself to the straw poll in Athens, the response was overwhelming.  People just like the idea of a former Judge standing up and saying the way we elect Judges in Ohio needs to change.

But the 71% margin of victory really isn't the number that caught my attention on election night.  I cannot begin to describe the pride I felt when I saw that I had won 87 of Ohio's 88 counties.  And I cannot contain the satisfaction of knowing that the Ashtabula County Democratic Party, the county where I started my law career, delivered 86% of the vote.  Now that's a number to take pride in.  The folks who know me best are still at my side.  Thanks Duane and Betty.  

But the accomplishment of winning in  87 of 88 counties is more important than my ego and pride.  Because as I said in the beginning, now the real work begins.  We need O'Neill committees in all 88 counties if we are going to win in November.  And it appears we arrived on the job site with all the right tools.  Can you believe our website received nearly 1,000 hits in one day?????

Message and drive.  That's what is needed today.  I spoke with Chris Redfern yesterday and we are going to make this happen this year.  The future of the State of Ohio will be written first in the Ohio General Assembly and then in the Supreme Court of Ohio.  There are 99 seats up in the Ohio House of Representatives this year, and 3 seats up in the Supreme Court.  This is the beginning of an epic struggle.  And we are right in the middle of it.

Today however, please accept my heartfelt thanks to everyone for a job well done.  I remember finishing basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1967 and being assembled in the hot sun for an address by our Commanding Officer...a 22-year-old "old man".  He had something to say, and we were about to be graduates after eight weeks in the Georgia sun in the middle of the Vietnam war.  And he got up there and cleared his throat, and said "Well Done Men".   And then he stepped down.  It was awesome.  That is what I have to say today.  Well done.  And Thank you.  Now let's get to work.

Peace.

With the primary less than a week away, I thought today would be a great day to share my thoughts of gratitude. Last Fall when I decided to run for the Supreme Court I was motivated by a passion to make a difference.  That’s what has driven me my whole life.  From joining the military to starting a family; from serving as a Judge to now working on a world-class team of doctors and nurses who make a difference in the lives of little ones.  Passion to make a difference.  That has been the common thread.

And what a great campaign it has become.  From the beginning it was apparent that my message of “Money And Judges Don’t Mix” was going to be enthusiastically embraced by those who get it, and soundly rejected by those who want to keep things the way they’ve always been. Win, lose or draw on Tuesday, I will be forever grateful to those who heard the message and helped to spread it throughout 88 counties.

Milestones.  Every journey is marked by them, and this campaign is no exception.  Take for example the Bar Associations in Northeast Ohio, reporting at www.judge4yourself.com and giving me the highest rating possible.  What a humbling experience. And then to be “recommended” by the Ohio State Bar Association.  Follow that with an endorsement by the Trumbull County Democratic Party and a glowing endorsement by the Akron Beacon Journal  www.ohio.com/editorial/editorials/for-the-ohio-supreme-court-1.265621# all in the same week and you have momentum on your side!  How could you not be grateful?

And then there was the video team.  If you haven’t seen it yet, take three minutes and appreciate what we are saying.  I mean really, how often to you get to see 14 year old twins counting out $80,000 in cash into a bushel basket?  I will go to my grave indebted to the writers who want to remain anonymous and the film crew of Tiffany, Tom, Nick and Joe.  Our website has gotten over 4,000 page views in two weeks and that’s a lot! Take a peek.

What ties it altogether?  Gratitude and the message, because this year we are really on to something.  From the White House to the Courthouse the very foundation of our government is under siege from the money merchants.  And here we are, the O’Neill For Justice committee standing out in the storm and proclaiming “No Money From No Body”.  It is a message that resonates.  And I am proud of it.

Rock on gang.  And remember to vote Tuesday.  And, it would not be a terrible idea to “recommend” www.oneillforjustice.com to your friends.  I’d love to reach 10,000 hits this month.

Peace.

Bill

WILLIAM MICHAEL O’NEILL, RN

LTC, UNITED STATES ARMY, Retired
RETIRED JUDGE, 11thDistrict Court of Appeals
DEMOCRATIC CANDIATE, Supreme Court of Ohio

Paid For By O’Neill For Justice, William O’Neill, Treasurer, 119 Waverly Lane, South Russell, Ohio

Some days it is harder than others to be humble.  This week is one of them.  It is one thing to be "recommended" by the Ohio State Bar Association.  And another to receive the highest grade possible from the lawyers groups in Judge4yourself, a highly respected group of Northern Ohio Bar Associations.  And sure, it is an ego boost to get endorsed by various county Democratic clubs, labor locals and individuals.

But the rubber hits the road when you start sitting in front of a group of skeptical newspaper reporters and editors and ask them to look at, evalauate and report on your credentials.  This Sunday, the Akron Beacon Journal published the most comprehensive endorsement in this race so far.  And I am humbled.  Read for yourself.

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL:

• For the Ohio Supreme Court

  Published: February 18, 2012 - 07:26 PM

  William O’Neill has been on the ballot four times since 2004, twice running unsuccessfully for the U.S. House after making two failed runs for the Ohio Supreme Court. Now he is back, again seeking a seat on the high court, running in the Democratic primary. As in the past, O’Neill brings a sharp mind, lively campaign style and a simple message to the race: “Money and judges don’t mix.”

  O’Neill has been relentless in his criticism of a system in which judicial candidates round up campaign cash and then sit on cases involving the contributors. He doesn’t take contributions, which is high-minded, obviously, yet no way to compete in a statewide campaign. What he does bring to the race is a wide range of experience, considerable legal skills and good judgment.

  Notably, O’Neill served 10 years on the 11th Ohio District Court of Appeals, starting in 1997, gaining apt preparation for the business of the Supreme Court. He worked for 12 years as an assistant state attorney general, under four administrations, Republican and Democratic. He has spent much time in trial work involving an array of cases, larger and small. Then add a second career of late, as a registered nurse in the pediatric emergency department of Hillcrest Hospital.

  We recommend the election of William O’Neill on March 6.

  His opponent is Judge Fanon Rucker of the Hamilton County Municipal Court, who is a strong candidate in his own way. For starters, Rucker makes the party happy by running in the conventional way. His campaign will raise money.

  Rucker began his legal career in the mid-1990s as a prosecutor with the city of Cincinnati. He then went into private practice, focusing on civil rights, employment discrimination and municipal law. In 2007, he joined the bench. He has displayed broader leadership in the community, for instance, his participation on the commission formed in the wake of racial troubles in Cincinnati. He views his strongest skills as a judge as his precision in applying the law and his capacity to listen.

  Yet for all of his strengths, Rucker is not the better equipped candidate in this race."