Following weeks of rumor, and a strong insistence just last week by Petro campaign manager Bob Paduchik that it was all just a story being circulated by his opponents, the Petro campaign announced Monday that Phil Heimlich would not be running for Lt. Governor on the Petro for Governor ticket.

The Cincinnati Enquirer writes that with Petro "facing a potentially difficult state-wide election – and his Republican Party possibly losing control of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners", Heimlich has decided that he will seek re-election for a second four-year term as commissioner, a job he has held since Jan. 1, 2003.

From the story:

George Vincent, chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, said he asked Petro last Thursday to release Heimlich from his obligation to run as lieutenant governor.

"This is a big win for our community," Vincent said today.

Led by Heimlich, the county commission has controlled spending -- this year's budget is the same as it was last year -- and tax increases.

The story explains that Hamilton County Republicans were worried that a big-name Democrat could seek Heimlich’s seat, since no other well-known Republican had announced their intentions to run.

By Chad D. Baus

The first 21 months of concealed carry in Ohio have provided pro-gun rights advocates a plethora of opportunities to disprove the rhetoric their opponents in the gun ban movements have thrown around during the near decade-long debate on concealed carry in the Buckeye State. There has been no soccer mom shootout, fender-bender murder, or Wild West-style vigilantism. There haven't even been the predicted childs-finds-gun-in-mom's-purse accidents. And believe me, gun owners who have endured years of such outlandish predictions from legislators, gun ban organizations and the establishment are ready and willing to take every opportunity to point this out.

Without taking away from observations that do need to be made, I believe that as we approach opponent testimony on Ohio House Bill 347, Buckeye State gun owners would be remiss if we did not also examine our own predictions pre-concealed carry. Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair Ken Hanson recently detailed how right we were about how this legislation would save lives. But as year-end news headlines rung the body count for homicides in Ohio's cities last month, I began to think about how the gun ban extremists may try to exploit other of our assertions for what could change in Ohio if concealed carry became law. My prediction is that statistics effected by increasing gang violence in some of Ohio's major cities will be used in an attempt to impune Ohio's law-abiding gun owners...

There were many excellent witnesses who offered comments in favor of HB347 last Tuesday. We've already featured Attorney Ken Hanson's revealing testimony.

On the eve of a second proponent hearing we would like to feature some of the other compelling testimony from witnesses who came to address key concerns that are addressed in HB347.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for testimony from Doug Stanton, Linda Walker, Paul Werbicky and Steve [Last Name Redacted].