Owens runs for attorney general, against both parties

Attorney Robert Owens: Owens2008.comWhile Republicans don't have an attorney general nominee to challenge Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee does have an opponent: independent Robert Owens.

The 34-year-old trial lawyer from Delaware County is running primarily to stop the attorney general's office from giving law firms millions in special counsel contracts without competitive bids, Owens said. If elected Owens would place all special counsel contracts into a competitive bidding process controlled by a review board.

"We would submit to move those towards that competitive bid process, which would remove an awful lot of graft from government," Owens said. "Really this would be a monumental and fundamental change in the way the attorney general does business."

Even if Owens isn't elected, he'll try to accomplish his goal by challenging Cordray and the Republican nominee to sign a pledge that promises to end non-competitive legal contracts if either is elected. Owens said he hasn't made a final decision to issue the pledge, but the parties are mum on changing business practices in the attorney general's offices.

"The major parties won't talk about this pledge because they don't want to change the way this system does business. "That's why it will really, absolutely take an independent candidate to make these changes in office."

Not that Owens would be opposed to the GOP's support. After all, he asked the party for its endorsement, though not its nomination.

"In the event that they end up not having a candidate, then I become the next best alternative for them because I'd certainly be better than Cordray for them in office. Although perhaps some of their special interest people would suggest differently," Owens said.

The Republican Party turned down his request for an endorsement.

Owens wants to be elected attorney general not just to reform the office but to also stop Democrats from effectively owning Ohio's executive branch. Owens argued that Cordray shouldn't be elected because Gov. Ted Strickland will then appoint a treasurer to fill Cordray's current position, after making Cordray the de facto attorney general nominee with his endorsement last month. Strickland would then have hand-picked the top law enforcement officer and top financial officer in the state.

"This essentially then gives Ohio two years in which those three offices really have no independence whatsoever from each other," Owens said, adding that Ohioans should see this as the source of potential corruption.

Owens needs 750 valid signatures to gain ballot access, and said he collected 1,335 signatures in the six days between the ballot-access deadline and the resignation of former attorney general Marc Dann.

The Secretary of State's office said it is still reviewing the signatures and hasn't reached a decision yet.

Owens said he will draw his support from disaffected Republicans and Democrats and especially Ron Paul supporters, whom he estimated have 15,000 in their ranks in Ohio and aren't done with politics.

"They don't feel as though the media really gave them a fair shot," Owens said of the Paulites. "A lot of them were green and were never involved in politics before. They really were upset as to how that process worked out, and to their credit, they're spoiling for a fight."

Owens said he supported Paul. Owens campaign manager Jeremiah Arn is vice chair of the Ohio Libertarian Party and assistant campaign manager Matt Bianco was a district leader for Paul in Ohio. Owens himself is the chair of the Ohio Constitution Party.

Owens holds a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, and a J.D. from Capital University. Owens studied political science and history for a year at the University of Oxford in England. He's worked for Columbus- based Maguire and Schneider, LLP where he practiced real estate law and corporate litigation.