Joel Hyatt, founder of a chain of low-cost legal clinics, won the Democratic nomination to succeed his father-in-law, Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, defeating a candidate who insisted the Senate needs more mothers, not millionaire lawyers.
Hyatt will face Republican Lt. Gov. Mike DeWine in November. DeWine won the GOP nomination Tuesday in a four-way race in which his closest competitor was Dr. Bernadine Healy, former director of the National Institutes of Health."This is my first election and I have already broken the first rule of politics, which is never let them see you sweat," Hyatt said early Wednesday. "I've been sweating it out all night."
Hyatt, who owns a national chain of hundreds of storefront, walk-in legal offices, campaigned as a regular-guy outsider, playing off his business slogan, "You have my word on it."
Metzenbaum, one of the leading liberals in the Senate, is retiring after 18 years. Hyatt is his hand-picked choice to succeed him.