Editing Bob McEwen

{{short description|American politician}}
{{other people||Robert McEwen (disambiguation){{!}}Robert McEwen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{POV|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Bob McEwen
|image = Bob McEwen by Gage Skidmore.jpg
|state = [[Ohio]]
|district = {{ushr|OH|6|6th}}
|term_start = January 3, 1981
|term_end = January 3, 1993
|predecessor = [[Bill Harsha]]
|successor = [[Ted Strickland]]
|state_house1 = Ohio
|district1 = 77th
|term_start1 = January 3, 1975
|term_end1 = December 31, 1980
|predecessor1 = [[Joseph Hiestand]]
|successor1 = [[Joe Haines (politician)|Joe Haines]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|1|12}}
|birth_place = [[Hillsboro, Ohio]], U.S.
|death_date = 
|death_place = 
|party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|spouse = Elizabeth Boebinger
|children = 4
|education = [[University of Miami]] ([[Bachelor of Business Administration|BBA]])<br>[[Ohio State University]]
}}
'''Robert D. McEwen''' (born January 12, 1950) is an American lobbyist and former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] politician. He was a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from southern [[Ohio]]'s [[Ohio's 6th congressional district|Sixth District]], from January 3, 1981, to January 3, 1993. Tom Deimer of [[Cleveland]]'s ''[[The Plain Dealer|Plain Dealer]]'' described him as a "textbook Republican" who is [[Anti-abortion movement|opposed to abortion]], [[Gun politics in the United States|gun control]] and [[Taxation in the United States|high taxes]]. In the House, he criticized government incompetence and charged corruption by the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] majority that ran the House in the 1980s. McEwen, who had easily won three terms in the [[Ohio House of Representatives|Ohio House]], was elected to Congress at the age of thirty to replace a retiring representative in 1980 and easily won re-election five times.

After a [[Partisan primary|primary]] battle with another incumbent whose district was combined with his, McEwen narrowly lost the [[United States House election, 1992|1992 general election]] to Democrat [[Ted Strickland]]. Following [[Ohio's 2nd congressional district special election, 1993|a run in the adjacent]] [[Ohio's 2nd congressional district|second district]] in 1993, McEwen was largely absent from the Ohio political scene for a decade, until in 2005 when he sought the Republican nomination for Congress in the [[2005 Ohio's 2nd congressional district special election|second district special election]] to replace [[Rob Portman]], who beat him in 1993, and finished second to the winner in the general election, [[Jean Schmidt]]. McEwen's 2005 platform was familiar from his past campaigns, advocating a [[pro-life]] stance, defending [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] rights, and promising to limit taxes and government spending.

==Backgrounds==
Born in [[Hillsboro, Ohio]], McEwen graduated from [[Hillsboro High School (Ohio)|Hillsboro High School]] in 1968. He earned a [[Bachelor of Business Administration|Bachelor's in Business Administration]] from the [[University of Miami]] in [[Coral Gables, Florida|Coral Gables]], Florida in 1972. He also attended [[Ohio State University]]'s College of Law for one year from 1972 to 1973.<ref name="bio">United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1987–1988 Official Congressional Directory, [[100th United States Congress|100th Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom, editor. Washington, D.C.: [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1987; United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1991–1992 Official Congressional Directory, [[102nd United States Congress|102d Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom, editor. S. Pub. 102-4. Washington, D.C.: [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1991.</ref>

McEwen and his wife, the former Elizabeth Boebinger, have four children. He is a member of many fraternal organizations and civic groups, including [[Sigma Chi]], the [[Farm Bureau]], the [[Grange movement|Grange]], [[Rotary International]], the [[Jaycees]], and the [[Optimist Club]].<ref name="bio"/>

After two years in his wife's family real estate business, serving as a vice president of Boebinger, Inc., he was elected at the age of twenty-four to the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] in 1974 from the 72nd House District representing southern Ohio. McEwen's district contained parts of Clinton, Fayette, Greene, and Highland Counties and all of Madison County. He was re-elected to two more two-year terms. In 1976, his plurality against Democrat L. James Matter was 14,816 votes, a number larger than the votes cast for Matter. (McEwen received 27,657 to Matter's 12,841.) McEwen was a supporter of the state [[lottery]] in the House.<ref name="lottery">[[Congressional Quarterly]]. ''Politics in America, 1992: The [[102nd United States Congress|102nd Congress]]''. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1991. {{ISBN|0-87187-599-3}}. 1158–1159.</ref> Having previously directed Sixth District Congressman [[Bill Harsha]]'s re-election campaigns to Congress in 1976 and 1978, McEwen ran for Harsha's seat when he retired in 1980. Harsha was neutral in the eight-man primary that McEwen won but supported McEwen in the general election where he defeated [[psychologist]] and minister [[Ted Strickland]], Harsha's opponent in 1976 and 1978, who went on to become Governor of Ohio.

==Congressional career==
In Congress, McEwen, who "had a reputation as a man who thinks about politics every waking moment," claimed ''Congressional Quarterly'', was a staunch [[American conservatism|conservative]], advocating a strong military.<ref name="lottery"/> In addition, he was a strong advocate for government works in his district — dams, roads, locks and the like much as Harsha had been — as McEwen was on the House's [[U.S. House Committee on Public Works and Transportation|Public Works and Transportation Committee]].<ref name="halloran">Richard Halloran. "Budget Cuts? 'Not in My District!'". ''[[The New York Times]]''. May 3, 1988. A26.</ref> ''The [[Chillicothe Gazette]]'' would salute him for his work on funding for [[U.S. Route 35]], a [[limited access highway]] linking [[Chillicothe, Ohio|Chillicothe]] to [[Dayton, Ohio|Dayton]].<ref name="manydeserve">"Many deserve recognition for U.S. 35 success". (Editorial). ''The [[Chillicothe Gazette]]''. December 4, 2004. A4.</ref> In general, however, McEwen advocated reduced government spending.

A vehement [[anti-communism|anti-Communist]], he visited [[Tbilisi]] in the former Soviet [[Georgia (country)|Republic of Georgia]] in 1991 to help tear down the hammer-and-sickle iconography of the Communist regime.<ref name="condomcewenhelps">Adam Condo. "McEwen Helps Dismantle Symbol of Communism". ''[[The Cincinnati Post]]''. September 12, 1991. 13A.</ref> That year he also called for the House to establish a select committee to investigate the [[Vietnam War POW/MIA issue]] – whether any soldiers declared "[[missing in action]]" in the [[Vietnam War]] and other American wars were still alive – by sponsoring H. Res. 207.<ref name="hres207">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c102:H.RES.207.IH: The text of H. Res. 207 on Library of Congress's Thomas service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204053702/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c102:H.RES.207.IH: |date=December 4, 2015 }}; "McEwen Seeks Committee to Investigate MIA Claims". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. August 3, 1991. 1C.</ref>

===McEwen's district===
When McEwen was first elected in 1980, the Sixth District of Ohio consisted of [[Adams County, Ohio|Adams]], [[Brown County, Ohio|Brown]], [[Clinton County, Ohio|Clinton]], [[Fayette County, Ohio|Fayette]], [[Highland County, Ohio|Highland]], [[Pickaway County, Ohio|Pickaway]], [[Pike County, Ohio|Pike]], [[Scioto County, Ohio|Scioto]], and [[Ross County, Ohio|Ross]] Counties plus [[Clermont County, Ohio|Clermont County]] outside the city of [[Loveland, Ohio|Loveland]], [[Harrison Township, Vinton County, Ohio|Harrison Township]] in [[Vinton County, Ohio|Vinton County]] and the [[Warren County, Ohio|Warren County]] townships of [[Clearcreek Township, Warren County, Ohio|Clearcreek]], [[Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio|Deerfield]], [[Hamilton Township, Warren County, Ohio|Hamilton]], [[Harlan Township, Warren County, Ohio|Harlan]], [[Massie Township, Warren County, Ohio|Massie]], [[Salem Township, Warren County, Ohio|Salem]], and [[Wayne Township, Warren County, Ohio|Wayne]].<ref>Ohio. Secretary of State. ''Official Roster of Federal, State, and County Officers and Departmental Information for 1991-1992.'' Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 1991. 330-335.</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described the Sixth as "a fail-safe Republican district."<ref>"Election 80:  New Faces in the House". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. November 23, 1980. A15.</ref> It had been in Republican hands since a 1959 special election.

The [[Ohio General Assembly]] redrew the Sixth District following the results of the [[1980 Census]]. The boundaries from 1983 to 1987 included all of [[Adams County, Ohio|Adams]], [[Clinton County, Ohio|Clinton]], [[Fayette County, Ohio|Fayette]], [[Highland County, Ohio|Highland]], [[Hocking County, Ohio|Hocking]], [[Jackson County, Ohio|Jackson]], [[Pike County, Ohio|Pike]], [[Ross County, Ohio|Ross]], [[Scioto County, Ohio|Scioto]], [[Vinton County, Ohio|Vinton]] and [[Warren County, Ohio|Warren]] Counties, plus [[Waterloo Township, Athens County, Ohio|Waterloo]] and [[York Township, Athens County, Ohio|York]] Townships in [[Athens County, Ohio|Athens County]]; [[Wayne Township, Clermont County, Ohio|Wayne Township]] in [[Clermont County, Ohio|Clermont County]]; [[Concord Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Concord]], [[Jasper Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Jasper]], [[Marion Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Marion]], [[Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Perry]], [[Union Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Union]], and [[Wayne Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Wayne]] Townships in [[Fayette County, Ohio|Fayette County]]; and [[Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio|Washington Township]] and the Cities of [[Miamisburg, Ohio|Miamisburg]] and [[West Carrollton, Ohio|West Carrollton]] in [[Montgomery County, Ohio|Montgomery]] County.<ref>Ohio. Secretary of State. ''Official Roster of Federal, State, and County Officers and Departmental Information for 1991-1992.'' Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 1991. 330-335; United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1987-1988 Official Congressional Directory, [[100th United States Congress|100th Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom, editor. Washington, D.C.:  [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1987.</ref>

Effective with the [[100th United States Congress|100th Congress]] in 1987, adjustments were made by the legislature to the boundaries. A small part of the Montgomery County territory was detached, as were parts of Fayette County in [[Washington Court House, Ohio|Washington Court House]] in [[Union Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Union Township]] and the townships of [[Jasper Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Jasper]] and [[Marion Township, Fayette County, Ohio|Marion]]. Part of [[Brown County, Ohio|Brown County]] was added, [[Jackson Township, Brown County, Ohio|Jackson]] and [[Eagle Township, Brown County, Ohio|Eagle]] Townships. These were the boundaries for the rest of McEwen's service in Congress.<ref>Ohio. Secretary of State. ''Official Roster of Federal, State, and County Officers and Departmental Information for 1991-1992.'' Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 1991. 330-335; United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory, [[102nd United States Congress|102d Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom, editor. S. Pub. 102-4.  Washington, D.C.: [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1991.</ref>

The district was largely rural and agricultural with no large cities. One of the major industries was the [[United States Department of Energy]]'s Portsmouth [[Gaseous diffusion|Gaseous Diffusion]] Plant at [[Piketon, Ohio|Piketon]], which manufactured [[uranium]] for [[nuclear weapons]]. The district was 97% [[White American|white]] with a median household income of $21,761.

===Tenure===
In a heated debate in 1985 over a Congressional seat in [[Indiana]] between Republican [[Rick McIntyre|Richard D. McIntyre]], whom the [[Indiana Secretary of State]] had certified as winning a seat in the [[99th United States Congress|99th Congress]], and Democrat [[Frank McCloskey]], in which the House declined to seat McIntyre, McEwen declared on the House floor, "Mr. Speaker, you know how to win votes the old fashioned way — you steal them."<ref name="shapiro">Margaret Shapiro. "House Rejects GOP Effort to Rule Indiana Seat Open." ''[[The Washington Post]]''. May 1, 1985. A4.</ref> When McEwen was late in 1990 to the House because of a massive traffic jam on the [[Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)|I-495]] beltway around Washington, D.C., he said on the House floor on February 21 that the District of Columbia's government should be replaced:

<blockquote>The total incompetence of the D.C. government in Washington, DC, has become an embarrassment to our entire Nation. This experiment in home rule is a disaster. All of us who serve in this Chamber, well over 95% of us, have held other positions in government. We have been mayors. We have been township trustees, State legislators, and the rest. I am convinced, Mr. Speaker, that there are well over 2,000 township trustees in my congressional district who with one arm tied behind their backs, could blindfolded do a better job of directing this city than the city council of D.C. It is high time that this experiment in [[home rule]] that has proven to be a disaster for our nation be terminated, that we return to some sort of logical government whereby the rest of us can function in this city.<ref name="incompetence">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:H21FE0-84: Congressional Record] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408200915/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:H21FE0-84: |date=April 8, 2016 }}, February 21, 1990, H398. See also "Washington Dateline". ''[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]''. (Richmond, Virginia). February 25, 1990. B4.</ref></blockquote>

After McEwen was criticized for his remarks, he delivered a thirty-minute speech in the House on March 1, 1990, on "The Worst City Government in America".<ref name="worst">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:H01MR0-171: Congressional Record]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, March 1, 1990, H586.</ref> Because of the crime problem in the District, McEwen also attempted to pass legislation overturning the District council's ban on [[Mace (spray)|mace]], saying people in the District should be able to defend themselves.<ref name="mace">Molly Sinclair. "District Reconsiders Mace Ban". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. July 10, 1992. D1. McEwen's proposal was an amendment, H. Amend. 689, to H.R. 5517, the [[District of Columbia]] Appropriations Act, which was not passed.</ref> During the [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]] in 1991, McEwen introduced legislation to end President [[Gerald Ford]]'s ban on U.S. government employees assassinating foreign leaders ([[Executive order (United States)|Executive Order]] 12333) in order to clear the way for [[Saddam Hussein]]'s removal, McEwen objecting to the "cocoon of protection that is placed around him because he holds the position that he holds as leader of his country."<ref name="hussein">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c102:H.CON.RES.39.IH: Text of H. Con. Res. 39 from the Library of Congress's Thomas site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408201226/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c102:H.CON.RES.39.IH: |date=April 8, 2016 }} and [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:H17JA1-107: Congressional Record]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, January 17, 1991, H536; Leslie Phillips. "Few Join Call for End to Assassination Ban". ''[[USA Today]].'' January 19, 1991. A8.</ref>

===Considers Senate run===
In October 1987, encouraged by Senator [[Phil Gramm]] of [[Texas]], McEwen announced he would challenge Senator [[Howard M. Metzenbaum]], a Democrat, in his 1988 bid for re-election, but McEwen found he lacked statewide support and would face a strong primary challenger in Cleveland mayor [[George V. Voinovich]]. He dropped out of the race in December.<ref name="schwartz">Maralee Schwartz, Lloyd Grove, and Charles R. Babcock. "McEwen Quits Ohio Senate Race". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. December 8, 1987. A8.</ref> McEwen's name was floated in 1991 as a possible challenger in 1992 to Ohio's other senator, [[John Glenn]], another Democrat, but McEwen did not enter the race.<ref name="underwood">Jim Underwood. "Republicans have few takers to face Glenn". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. March 17, 1991.</ref>

===Easily reelected===
McEwen was easily re-elected to the House in every election but his last. In 1982, he defeated Lynn Alan Grimshaw, 92,135 to 63,435, and in the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] landslide of 1984 he beat Bob Smith nearly three-to-one, 150,101 to 52,727. In 1986 and 1988 he faced Gordon R. Roberts, defeating him two-to-one in 1986 (106,354 to 42,155 with independent Amos Seeley receiving a scattering) and three-to-one in 1988 (152,235 to 52,635).<ref name="cong87dir">United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1987–1988 Official Congressional Directory, [[100th United States Congress|100th Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom, editor. Washington, D.C.: [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1987. 692.</ref> In the rematch, McEwen outspent Roberts twenty-to-one, $884,754 to $43,485.<ref name="politics2">[[Congressional Quarterly]]. ''Politics in America, 1992: The [[102nd United States Congress|102nd Congress]]''. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1991. {{ISBN|0-87187-599-3}}</ref> McEwen in 1990 beat his opponent, Raymond S. Mitchell — who the ''[[Dayton Daily News]]'' said "is an unknown small businessman who hasn't thought things through" — by three to one. The tally was 117,200 to 47,415 in a race where Mitchell was outspent seventeen-to-one, McEwen spending $196,934 and Mitchell $11,171.<ref name="almanaccampaign">Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa. ''The Almanac of American Politics, 1994''. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 1993. {{ISBN|0-89234-058-4}}</ref> Congressional Quarterly's ''Politics in America'' pronounced him "invincible" in his district.<ref name="politics2"/>

{{See also|Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 6th District}}

===In the spotlight in his last term===
McEwen served on the [[U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Public Works and Transportation|Public Works and Transportation]] and [[U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs]] Committees from his election to 1991. By 1989, he had risen to be the [[ranking minority member]] of the Public Works Committee's Economic Development Subcommittee and was sixth in seniority on the full committee.<ref name="91congdir">United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1991–1992 Official Congressional Directory, [[102nd United States Congress|102d Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom, editor. S. Pub. 102-4. Washington, D.C.: [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1991; [[Congressional Quarterly]]. ''Politics in America, 1992: The [[102nd United States Congress|102nd Congress]]''. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1991. {{ISBN|0-87187-599-3}}</ref> During the 99th and [[100th United States Congress|100th]] Congresses, he was also a member of the [[U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Intelligence|Select Committee on Intelligence]]. During his last term, in the [[102nd United States Congress|102nd Congress]], he left Public Works and Veterans' Affairs for the powerful [[U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules|Rules]] Committee and served on its Legislative Process Subcommittee. He was chosen for the Rules Committee by Republican leader [[Bob Michel]] of [[Illinois]], but McEwen would grumble that "the Committee on Rules is stacked in a partisan manner 2 to 1 plus 1" by the Democratic majority.<ref name="stacked">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:H06MY2-786: Congressional Record] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408201507/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:H06MY2-786: |date=April 8, 2016 }}, May 6, 1992, H3005; Adam Condo. "McEwen Joining Powerful House Committee". ''[[The Cincinnati Post]]''. December 20, 1990. 19A.</ref> During the 102nd Congress, he was also on the [[U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Children, Families, and Youth|Select Committee on Children, Families, and Youth]].

Late in his Congressional career, he began regular appearances on public affairs programs such as ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]'' and the ''[[The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer|MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour]]'' and was often a guest on [[C-SPAN]] and the [[Cable News Network]]. Martin Gottlieb of the ''Dayton Daily News'', a Democratic newspaper, thought McEwen's performances showed why he had remained in the background previously:

<blockquote>In the past, McEwen's ambition has taken the form of interest in higher office. Twice he made feints about seeking statewide office. But he didn't want to risk his congressional seat. Now he's found a way to nurse a healthy level of ambition without taking that risk. He has, of course, a pronounced tendency to be wrong about the issues&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. . Most typically, he appears as an ideological combatant. He seems to be selling himself to the nation's conservatives as an attractive spokesman. He's got enough talent to do it. In the days when McEwen was content to be a back-bencher, he was criticized on this page for his irrelevance on the important issues. Now, however, it is clear that the nation as a whole was better off when he was keeping his views to himself.<ref name="mcewensteps">Martin Gottlieb. "McEwen Steps Into the TV Limelight". ''[[Dayton Daily News]]''. May 1, 1991. 10A.</ref></blockquote>

In his decade in Congress, McEwen compiled a conservative voting record, usually scoring in the single digits in the annual [[Americans for Democratic Action]] ratings and 85% or higher in the [[American Conservative Union]]'s similar polls, though McEwen was never one of the most conservative Republicans in the House nor the most conservative Republican in the Ohio delegation.<ref name="lottery"/>

McEwen often joined his fellow Republicans in making special order speeches in the House, which occur after the business for the day has concluded and are made to a nearly empty chamber. McEwen's ally [[Newt Gingrich]] of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] had discovered that, thanks to the C-SPAN cable network's promise of "gavel-to-gavel coverage" of the House, he and his fellow conservatives such as McEwen, Mississippi's [[Trent Lott]], California's [[Robert K. Dornan]], and [[Pennsylvania]]'s [[Robert S. Walker]] could speak directly to Americans. ''Congressional Quarterly'' wrote viewers often found "McEwen playing the trusty sidekick [[Sancho Panza]] to Bob Dornan of California, both tilting at the latest liberal windmill."<ref name="lottery"/>

==1992 campaign==

===New district lines===
McEwen easily won re-election in every race save his last and was seen as unbeatable in his district. However, Ohio lost two seats in the 1990 [[reapportionment]]. The Democrats and Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly struck a deal to eliminate one Democratic and one Republican district, as one congressman from each party was expected to retire. The Republican expected to retire was [[Clarence E. Miller]], a thirteen-term veteran called "chairman of the caucus of the obscure" for his invisibility on [[Capitol Hill]]. However, Miller surprised everyone by deciding to run for a fourteenth term. The Democrats in the Statehouse would not reconsider the deal and Miller's Tenth District was obliterated.<ref name="barone">Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa. ''The Almanac of American Politics, 1994''. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 1993. {{ISBN|0-89234-058-4}}; Tom Diemer. "Incumbents duke it out in new district". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. May 25, 1992, 3A; D. Kaplan. "McEwen, Oakar face the music of the House bank scandal". ''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report''. v. 50, n. 21. May 23, 1992. 1488–1491.</ref>

The new district map was not agreed upon by the General Assembly until March 26, 1992, one week before the filing deadline for the primary originally scheduled for May 5. Governor [[George Voinovich]] signed the new map into law on March 27, and on April 1 the General Assembly moved the primary to June 2. Miller's hometown of [[Lancaster, Ohio|Lancaster]] was placed in freshman [[Dave Hobson]]'s [[Springfield, Ohio|Springfield]]-based Seventh District, but Miller chose to run in the Sixth District against McEwen since the largest piece of his old district — five counties — was placed in the new Sixth. Miller's decision was also impacted by his strong personal distaste for McEwen.

After being hurt in a fall in his bathtub after slipping on a bar of soap, Miller was expected to withdraw and the Republican leadership hoped for a deal as late as May 15, the day Miller was to hold a press conference Ohio political observers thought he would use to announce his withdrawal. However, Miller stayed in the race and the two incumbents faced each other in the Republican primary on June 2, 1992.

===Miller and McEwen spar===
The primary race was bitter. Miller called McEwen "[[Pinocchio]]," and McEwen said of Miller, "His misrepresentations and falsehoods are gargantuan. I tried to be his best friend in the delegation. I am deeply disappointed at the meanness of his effort." Tom Deimer of Cleveland's ''[[The Plain Dealer|Plain Dealer]]'' wrote that the two candidates were largely identical on the issues: "both are textbook Republican conservatives, opposed to abortion, gun control, high taxes, and costly government programs — unless located in their districts." Miller noted he had no overdrafts at the House bank, saying, "the score is 166 to nothing." McEwen said "every one of my checks was free and clear. Every month's statement had a balance." McEwen ran commercials against Miller claiming the long-time congressman "has fallen out of touch with Ohio" and "doesn't live in our district and isn't even registered to vote here." Miller struck back in a live-television interview by taking a [[Wheat Thins|Wheat Thin]], claiming it to be McEwen, and then taking a bite out of it.<ref name="deimer">Tom Diemer. "Incumbents duke it out in new district". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. May 25, 1992. 3A.</ref>

===Close results===
The 1992 primary was so close it forced a recount and prompted a lawsuit. When [[Ohio Secretary of State]] [[Bob Taft]] dismissed Miller's charges of voting irregularities in Highland, Hocking and Warren counties, Miller filed suit in the [[Ohio Supreme Court]].<ref name="millercontests">"Miller contests vote in Ohio 6th District." ''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report''. v. 50, n. 30. July 25, 1992. 2200.</ref> Miller dropped his court challenge in August and then only because his campaign treasury was exhausted.<ref name="moneywoes">"Money Woes Force Miller to Drop McEwen Challenge." ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. August 27, 1992. 1C.</ref> In the final count, McEwen won 33,219 votes to Miller's 32,922, a plurality of 297 votes. In the end, McEwen's geographic advantage (he retained 59% of his old territory) put him over the top. Ominously, however, Miller trounced him in the five counties that had been in Miller's old district.

After the final result, Miller refused to endorse McEwen, though McEwen tried to soothe feelings by introducing H.R. 5727 in the House to name the dam and locks on the [[Ohio River]] near [[Gallipolis, Ohio|Gallipolis]] after Miller.<ref name="dam">{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:h.r.05727:|title=Text of H.R. 5727 from the Library of Congress's Thomas service|access-date=May 23, 2005|archive-date=July 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705013927/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:h.r.05727:|url-status=dead}}</ref> Miller carried an unsuccessful legal challenge to the redistricting to the [[United States Supreme Court]], insisting district lines should be drawn on a politically neutral basis.

===Defeated in the general election===
The old Sixth District was centered in southwestern and south-central Ohio around McEwen's hometown, Hillsboro. After redistricting, McEwen found himself running in a huge area stretching from [[Lebanon, Ohio|Lebanon]] to [[Marietta, Ohio|Marietta]]. This new district was very difficult to campaign in. It spilled across six media markets, meaning that McEwen had to buy ads in cities where most of the viewers couldn't vote in the district. It also lacked any large cities and possessed few unifying elements. His Democratic opponent was psychologist [[Ted Strickland]], whom he had defeated in his initial run in 1980.

[[Pat Buchanan]], the conservative columnist who challenged President Bush in the 1992 presidential primaries, came to Ohio to campaign for McEwen, as did Vice President [[Dan Quayle]] and [[Oliver North]]. Though [[George H. W. Bush]] won the district, McEwen was narrowly defeated by Strickland in the general election on November 3. While he won 55–45 in the area he once represented, McEwen did not win in any of the counties that had once been in Miller's district, losing the unfamiliar territory 59-41. Strickland received 122,720 votes to McEwen's 119,252, a plurality of only 3,468.<ref name="92vote">United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. ''1993–1994 Official Congressional Directory, [[103rd United States Congress|103rd Congress]]''. Duncan Nystrom and Lesley Mason, editors. Washington, D.C.: [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1993. {{ISBN|0-16-041175-0}}; Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa. ''The Almanac of American Politics, 1994''. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 1993. {{ISBN|0-89234-058-4}}.</ref> "I think McEwen's loss was a case of bounced checks and some arrogance," said Alfred Tuchfarber, a [[political science]] professor at the [[University of Cincinnati]] who runs the [[Ohio Poll]]. "He just had a certain personal arrogance about him that didn't go down well in a poor district."<ref name="sloat">Bob Sloat. "Overdrafts bounce McEwen out". ''[[The Plain Dealer]].'' November 5, 1992. 5B.</ref> Strickland said, "I ran against [[Pat Robertson]], Pat Buchanan, the [[National Rifle Association]] and [[Right-to-Life]]. They threw everything at me. I'm just so happy I beat back those guys. I think they're so divisive."<ref name="sloat"/>

==Run in the second district in 1993==
McEwen then [[Ohio's 2nd congressional district special election, 1993|sought election to the House in the Second District]] near [[Cincinnati]], immediately west of his former district, and which contained some territory he represented in the 1980s. The election was to fill the vacancy caused by [[Bill Gradison|Willis D. Gradison's]] resignation to become a lobbyist for the insurance industry on January 31, 1993, three months after his re-election.<ref name="maloneyhouse">Sharon Maloney. "House Race Wide Open After Blackwell Departure". ''[[Cincinnati Post]]''. January 27, 1993. 3A; Thomas H. Moore. "Contest to replace Gradison a suburban vs. rural fight". ''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report''. v. 51, n. 8. February 20, 1993. 396–397.</ref> "It's important that we have an experienced person to fight for jobs for Southwest Ohio. We need to bring economic growth to our area," McEwen said. "It's important that we have someone who can hit the ground running, representing our values of economic growth and low taxes."<ref name="ex-lawmaker">"Ex-lawmaker Says He Offers Experience". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. January 22, 1993. 3B.</ref> Though a congressman does not need to live in the district he represents, McEwen put his home in Hillsboro up for sale and rented a home in [[Bethel, Ohio|Bethel]] in Clermont County.<ref name="mcewenwill">"McEwen Will Change Address to Run for Seat". ''[[Dayton Daily News]]''. February 3, 1993. 2B.</ref>

In the Republican primary on March 16, McEwen faced trade lawyer [[Rob Portman]], who had worked in the [[White House]] under President [[George H. W. Bush]]; real estate developer Jay Buchert, the president of the [[National Association of Home Builders]]; and several lesser known candidates: real estate appraiser Garland Eugene Crawford of [[Loveland, Ohio|Loveland]]; anti-abortion activist Ken Callis of the Cincinnati suburb of [[Wyoming, Ohio|Wyoming]]; Robert W. Dorsey, a professor at the [[University of Cincinnati]] and township trustee in Hamilton County's [[Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio|Anderson Township]]; and [[Ku Klux Klan]] leader Van Darrell Loman of [[Cheviot, Ohio|Cheviot]]. Three other candidates filed and qualified but withdrew from the primary, former [[Madeira, Ohio|Madeira]] mayor Mary Anne Christie; [[Lebanon, Ohio|Lebanon]] attorney Bruce Gudenkauf, a member of the Warren County Republican Party's central committee; and Donnie Jones, city auditor in [[Norwood, Ohio|Norwood]].<ref name="associatedpress">[[Associated Press]]. "Two Quit Race to Replace Congressman-turned-lobbyist." ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. February 13, 1993. 5B.</ref>

In February the press reported that, according to campaign finance filings, McEwen trailed both Buchert and Portman in funds, Buchert having three times the treasury McEwen did.<ref name="rizzobuilder">Katherine Rizzo. "Builder Finances His Race, McEwen Trails in War-chest Funds." ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. March 8, 1993. 3B.</ref> McEwen was endorsed by [[Oliver North]], whose prosecution in the [[Iran-Contra Affair]] McEwen had labeled a "political witch hunt" when he was in Congress.<ref name="witch">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:H04MY9-598: Congressional Record] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408201517/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:H04MY9-598: |date=April 8, 2016 }} May 4, 1989, H1658; Adrienne Flynn. "GOP Primary Fight Bitter to the End." ''[[Dayton Daily News]]''. March 16, 1993. 3B.</ref> McEwen also criticized Portman for lobbying Congress to pass the tax increase President [[George H. W. Bush]] supported when Portman was a White House aide. He also criticized Portman for being a lobbyist for [[Oman]]. McEwen brought his former House colleague [[Jack Kemp]] to Ohio to campaign for him.

McEwen faced questions about the bounced checks he had written on the House bank. Buchert ran campaign commercials citing McEwen's checks, the expenses of his Congressional office, and his campaign finance disclosures, while noting Portman was "the handpicked choice of the downtown money crowd" and was "a registered foreign agent for the biggest Democrat lobbying firm in Washington," labeling Portman and McEwen "Prince Rob and Bouncing Bob."<ref name="rizzocongressional">Katherine Rizzo. "Congressional Candidate Goes on the Attack With Ad". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. February 20, 1993. 5B.</ref> McEwen, who had taken a hard-line on his checks in 1992, relented in the campaign. Martin Gottlieb wrote, "McEwen says now that his problem was a form of excessive pride. He says he used to 'demand perfection' of himself." McEwen also said, "I felt I could never admit a mistake.&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. I am very, very sorry. I should have watched it more carefully.&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. I have learned a great deal."<ref name="mcewenraises">Martin Gottlieb. "McEwen Raises Soul-Searching Issue". ''[[Dayton Daily News]]''. March 5, 1993. 10A.</ref> [[Les Spaeth]], chairman of the Warren County Republican Party and former Warren County Auditor, said, "People very much disliked the check overdraft thing, but I think they don't see it as happening again. I think it's past. He made a mistake and he got caught. But that's overridden by the service he's given, particularly to our county."<ref name="mcewenraises"/>

After his successor in Congress, Ted Strickland, found election-related files on his office computers, questions were raised about whether McEwen had been illegally using his House office in his re-election campaign in 1992. McEwen's former chief of staff said McEwen knew nothing about it, and the chief of staff admitted "a technical violation of the rules."<ref name="filesleft">"Files Left Behind in McEwen Computer". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. February 21, 1993. 3B.</ref>

McEwen won four of the five counties in the district — Adams, Brown, Clermont and Warren. In Adams, once part of his district, he received 77% of the vote, sixty-seven points ahead of Portman. However, McEwen finished third in the largest county in the district, [[Hamilton County, Ohio|Hamilton]], one he had never represented and which contained 57% of the Second District's registered voters. In the primary, Portman won only Hamilton County, but by a large enough margin to win the primary with 17,531 votes (35.61%), while McEwen received 14,542 (29.54%), Buchert 12,488 (25.37%), Dorsey 2,947 (5.99%), the rest scattering. The race in the Second District, one of the most Republican in the country, was determined in the primary — six times as many Republicans as Democrats voted in the primary — and Portman easily defeated attorney [[Lee Hornberger]] 53,020 (70.1%) to 22,652 (29.1%) in the special election on May 4.<ref name="2lawyers">John Nolan. "Two lawyers to face off in May". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. March 17, 1993. 3B.</ref>

Following the primary, the ''Dayton Daily News'' criticized McEwen for having voters return absentee voter request forms to his campaign office rather than directly to the county boards of elections.<ref name="mcewenabsentee">"McEwen's Absentee-voter Effort Shouldn't Be Copied by Candidates". (Editorial). ''[[Dayton Daily News]]''. March 19, 1993. 14A.</ref> The ''Daily News'' also said the "primary was completely about personalities, rather than issues."<ref name="mcewenhad">"McEwen Had Geography Problem, But He Can't Blame Lack of Money." (Editorial). ''[[Dayton Daily News]].'' March 18, 1993. 10A.</ref>

==Returns to private life==
After his defeat, McEwen remained active in politics, but press accounts said he spent most of his time in the Washington, D.C., area residing in northern [[Virginia]].<ref name="formercongressman">"Former Congressman To Seek Portman's Seat". ''CongressDaily''. April 15, 2005. 6.</ref> Since 1997, he has been a partner with eleven other former Members of Congress in the Washington firm [[Advantage Associates]], a lobbying and consulting firm. He founded FreedomQuest International, an international [[investment banking]] firm based in Washington, D.C. McEwen took to the [[lecture circuit]], delivering speeches for $10,000 apiece.<ref name="speaking">{{cite web|url=http://www.premierespeakers.com/112/index.cfm |title=Premier Speakers page on hiring McEwen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040604022708/http://www.premierespeakers.com/112/index.cfm |archive-date=June 4, 2004 }}</ref> During the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential election]], McEwen traveled widely to speak for [[George W. Bush]], focusing on Ohio. In 2006, he joined the law firm of Greenebaum, Doll, and McDonald as a consultant in its Cincinnati and Washington offices.<ref name="joins">"Ex-Rep. Joins Law Firm." ''[[The Cincinnati Post]]''. January 11, 2006. C11; [http://www.gdm.com/CM/WhatsNew/former-congressman-mcewen.asp Press release on the site of the law firm] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217174644/http://www.gdm.com/CM/WhatsNew/former-congressman-mcewen.asp |date=February 17, 2007 }}.</ref>

As executive director of the [[Council for National Policy]], McEwen was embroiled in controversy over inaction of alerting the [[Ohio Republican Party]] about [[Wes Goodman]]'s sexual activities in 2015 before Goodman ran for office of the Ohio House of Representatives. Goodman resigned from his seat in November 2017 when allegations were made public.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-conservative-group-dealt-with-a-fondling-charge-against-a-rising-gop-star/2017/11/17/b3b4b8da-c956-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html|title=How a conservative group dealt with a fondling charge against a rising GOP star|last1=Kindy|first1=Kimberly|last2=Viebeck|first2=Elise|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 17, 2017|access-date=November 21, 2017|archive-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171119143049/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-conservative-group-dealt-with-a-fondling-charge-against-a-rising-gop-star/2017/11/17/b3b4b8da-c956-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==2005 congressional run==
{{Main|Ohio 2nd congressional district election, 2005}}

[[Image:Ohiodistrict2.jpg|right|thumb|282px|The State of [[Ohio]], showing the Second District.]] [[Image:Ohio2ndCongressionalDistrict109thCongress.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Detailed Map of Ohio's Second Congressional District]]Days after President [[George W. Bush]] nominated Second District Congressman [[Rob Portman]] to be [[United States Trade Representative]] in March 2005, McEwen announced he would run for Portman's seat. He then moved from his home in [[Fairfax Station, Virginia|Fairfax Station]], Virginia and purchased a second residence, a [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]] in Hamilton County's [[Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio|Anderson Township]], east of [[Cincinnati]]. McEwen drew upon his connections and quickly had high-profile endorsements from [[Focus on the Family]] leader [[James Dobson]], former [[United States Attorney General]] [[Edwin Meese]], [[Cincinnati Bengals]] player [[Anthony Muñoz]], [[American Family Association]] president [[Donald Wildmon]], [[Citizens for Community Values]] anti-pornography crusader [[Phil Burress]], and former New York congressman [[Jack Kemp]], who came to the district to campaign for him.<ref name="wilkinsoncandidates">Howard Wilkinson. "Candidates' ad blitz goes from radio to TV".''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. May 19, 2005. C2.</ref> Kemp said in a rally in Clermont County on May 20 that "Bob and his wife Liz are like part of our family."<ref name="wilkinsonkemp">Howard Wilkinson. "Kemp's for McEwen, but 2nd choice is [[Pat DeWine|DeWine]]". ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. May 21, 2005. B4.</ref> Dobson wrote in his endorsement letter, "I have rarely been more excited about a candidate running in a highly significant race than I am about Bob McEwen for Congress&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. . If Bob returns to the House of Representatives, he will once again emerge as a tireless champion for the family and for traditional conservative values."<ref name="dobson">{{cite web|url=http://www.bobmcewenforcongress.com/index.php?p=55|title=Text of Dobson's endorsement letter on McEwen's campaign website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051122092414/http://www.bobmcewenforcongress.com/index.php?p=55|archive-date=November 22, 2005}}</ref>

Ed Meese came to Cincinnati on May 31 to campaign for McEwen saying "[[Ronald Reagan]] relied on him heavily." Rival candidate [[Pat DeWine]], a Hamilton County Commissioner and the son of Senator [[Mike DeWine]], the same day questioned McEwen's post-Congressional career as a lobbyist, issuing a press release saying "no one who has ever served in Congress ought to be allowed to become a lobbyist. Ever."<ref name="wilkinsonmcewendisplays">Howard Wilkinson. "McEwen displays his Reagan 'cred'". ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]].'' June 1, 2005. C2.</ref> Congressman [[John Boehner]], whose Eighth District was to the west of the Second, endorsed McEwen on June 7. Boehner was a freshman in McEwen's final term. He said, "Bob is the most qualified to step in and represent that district."<ref name="boehner">Howard Wilkinson. "Boehner endorses McEwen in 2nd". ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. June 8, 2005. C2.</ref> The Congressmen from other neighboring districts, [[Steve Chabot]] and [[Mike Turner]], were silent in the primary race. McEwen a week before the primary was reported to have raised $366,429, McEwen donating $250,000 to his campaign; DeWine's total was $743,407.

DeWine focused his attention on the most experienced candidate, McEwen. DeWine attacked McEwen with charges used against him in his last two campaigns. Dewine charged McEwen had "wasted taxpayers' money" by having the most expensive Congressional office of any Ohio member of the U.S. House and criticized McEwen's bouncing of 166 checks on the House bank. DeWine also tried to depict McEwen as a [[carpetbagger]], asking in television advertisements "If Bob McEwen really cares about us, why has he spent the last twelve years living in [[Virginia]]?" McEwen denied he had bounced any checks, repeating what he had claimed in 1992 and insisted that he had continued to reside in Ohio since he lost his re-election bid, noting he had never voted in Virginia nor held a Virginia drivers license.<ref name="dojletter">{{cite web|url=http://www.bobmcewenforcongress.com/files/docs/Exoneration_Letter.pdf |title=Text of a letter from the United States Department of Justice stating McEwen would not be prosecuted for his role in the House Bank Scandal, which McEwen posted on his campaign site |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524183108/http://www.bobmcewenforcongress.com/files/docs/Exoneration_Letter.pdf |archive-date=May 24, 2006 }}</ref> (McEwen did not live in the second district until April 11, when he bought a condominium in [[Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio|Anderson Township]]; but DeWine did not live in the district until he bought a home there on April 6.<ref name="auditor">{{cite web|url=http://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org |title=Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes |publisher=Hamiltoncountyauditor.org |access-date=January 3, 2011}}</ref>) DeWine quoted correspondence from the [[Highland County, Ohio|Highland County]] Board of Elections claiming the Board had cancelled McEwen's voter registration for living in Virginia.

DeWine also questioned McEwen's record on taxes, sending out mailings criticizing McEwen's vote on May 24, 1982, in the [[Ninety-seventh United States Congress|97th Congress]] "in support of a Democrat budget that raised out taxes by $233 billion." Two mailings focused on this issue, one featuring a photograph of Ronald Reagan that was captioned "When President Reagan Needed Votes to Keep Taxes Low, Bob McEwen Said 'NO'", the other asking "Are We Still the Party of Lower Taxes?"

[[Jean Schmidt]], a former member of the Ohio House, benefited from the conservative vote being split by McEwen and [[Tom Brinkman]]. The official returns showed Schmidt had won with 14,331 votes (31%). McEwen finished second with 11,663 (25%), Brinkman was third with 9,320 (20%), and DeWine, who spent $1 million on his campaign, finished a distant fourth with 5,467 (12%). The remaining vote was split by the seven others, none of whom received more than 5%. Following the primary, McEwen campaigned with Schmidt in the general election against the Democratic nominee, attorney [[Paul Hackett (politician)|Paul Hackett]].

==Facing Schmidt in 2006==
[[Image:Doug Mink, Eric Minamyer, Bob McEwen, Tom Brinkman, Steve Austin.jpg|right|thumb|From left to right: Doug Mink, Eric Minamyer, Bob McEwen, [[Tom Brinkman]], Steve Austin]]
On October 12, 2005, the Internet domain name BobMcEwenForSenate.com was registered.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=bobmcewenforsenate.com |title=WHOIS report |publisher=Networksolutions.com |access-date=January 3, 2011 |archive-date=October 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008001814/http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=bobmcewenforsenate.com |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bobmcewenforsenate.com/Page1.html |title=Page 1 |access-date=August 10, 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051213220331/http://bobmcewenforsenate.com/Page1.html |archive-date=December 13, 2005 }}</ref> McEwen also considered a campaign for [[Lieutenant Governor of Ohio|Lieutenant Governor]] as the running mate of [[Ohio Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[J. Kenneth Blackwell]], who sought to replace [[Bob Taft]] as [[Governor of Ohio|governor]].<ref name="ltgov">Jon Craig. "Local names added to list of hopefuls." ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. December 4, 2005. B2; David Hammer. "McEwen's Power Base Vulnerable to Schmidt." ''[[The Cincinnati Post]]''. January 19, 2006. A8.</ref> On December 16, 2005, ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]'' reported McEwen was considering challenging Schmidt for her congressional seat in 2006 and had formed an [[exploratory committee]]. "I am in serious consideration," he told the newspaper.<ref name="serious">Malia Rulon. "McEwen might challenge Schmidt." ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. December 16, 2005. B2.</ref> On January 18, 2006, McEwen confirmed that he would run in the May 2 primary against [[Jean Schmidt]].<ref name="2006run">Howard Wilkinson. "McEwen will challenge Schmidt." ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. January 18, 2006. B1.</ref>
He started his campaign with little in the way of reserve cash.<ref>[http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2006/01/mcewen-campaign-nearly-broke.asp  McEwen campaign nearly broke] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508033825/http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2006/01/mcewen-campaign-nearly-broke.asp |date=May 8, 2006 }} January 23, 2006</ref> "I won't let this distract me from my duties as a congresswoman," Schmidt told ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' upon McEwen's announcement. "I have a job to do. I can't worry about this."<ref name="worry">Howard Wilkinson. "McEwen vs. Schmidt in rematch." ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]''. January 19, 2006. 1C.</ref> Anti-pornography activist Phil Burress told the Associated Press that a race between Schmidt and McEwen would be tough. "They are two totally different types of personalities. Bob is a statesman, and I love that. Jean will get in your face in a heartbeat, and I like that too," said Burress.<ref name="burress">David Hammer. "McEwen's Power Base Vulnerable to Schmidt." ''[[The Cincinnati Post]]''. January 19, 2006. A8.</ref> Also running were Deborah A. Kraus, who worked for the West Clermont school district's computer services department, and James E. Constable, who ran to protest the care his disabled son received from a state hospital.

McEwen finished second to Schmidt in the May 2 primary. Unofficial returns gave her 33,314 votes (47.75%) to McEwen's 29,611 (42.45%), Kraus's 4,358 (6.25%), and Constable's 2,480 (3.55%). McEwen won Adams, Brown, Pike, and Scioto counties while Schmidt won Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren.

==Lobbying==
Following his primary challenge to Schmidt, McEwen worked as a [[lobbyist]] for [[Côte d'Ivoire]] strongman [[Laurent Gbagbo]].<ref name=Salon>Elliott, Justin (March 30, 2011) [http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/03/30/ivory_coast_christian_right_gbagbo/index.html Why the Christian right is backing a brutal despot] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401124017/http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/03/30/ivory_coast_christian_right_gbagbo/index.html |date=April 1, 2011 }}, ''[[Salon.com]]''</ref> "In December [2010], McEwen was hired at a rate of $25,000 per month to assist the Ivorian ambassador to the U.S. 'in exerting his influence in the most strategic way possible,' according to lobbying records."<ref name=Salon/> When asked about his representation of Gbagbo, McEwen said: "I was a member of the intelligence committee. There are not too many places in Africa I haven't been. So I'm knowledgeable of the issue and what's going on."<ref name=Salon/> "Despite allegations of human rights abuses, McEwen still supports Gbagbo, calling [[Ivorian presidential election, 2010|the 2010 crisis]] 'a [[Coup d'etat|coup]] in progress' by Gbagbo's opponents. He believes the international response is driven by French financial interests in the country."<ref name=Salon/>

==Namesake==
There is a water treatment plant in Clermont County's [[Batavia Township, Ohio|Batavia Township]] named for McEwen. Clermont County was grateful to McEwen because he successfully forced the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to sell the county water from Harsha Lake after the state denied them water for years; the plant treats the Harsha Lake water he obtained for the county.<ref name="penix">Len Penix. "Clermont Water Plant Reopens". ''[[Cincinnati Post]]''. April 5, 2001. East Section, 1; Len Penix. "Clermont Wins Control of Lake Water". ''[[Cincinnati Post]]''. October 1, 1991. 5A.</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of United States representatives from Ohio]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bob McEwen}}
*[http://www.bobmcewen.com/ Official website]
{{CongBio|M000432}}
*{{C-SPAN|6799}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box
|state    = Ohio
|district = 6
|before   = [[Bill Harsha]]
|years    = 1981–1993
|after    = [[Ted Strickland]]}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dennis Eckart]]|as=Former US Representative}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''{{small|as Former US Representative}}''|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Bob Gibbs]]|as=Former US Representative}}
{{end}}

{{OhioRepresentatives06}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=97th–102nd [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[United States congressional delegations from Ohio|Ohio]]}}
{{USCongRep/OH/97}}
{{USCongRep/OH/98}}
{{USCongRep/OH/99}}
{{USCongRep/OH/100}}
{{USCongRep/OH/101}}
{{USCongRep/OH/102}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McEwen, Bob}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:American lobbyists]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1993 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2005 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2006 United States elections]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of Congress who became lobbyists]]
[[Category:People from Fairfax Station, Virginia]]
[[Category:People from Hillsboro, Ohio]]
[[Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio]]
[[Category:University of Miami Business School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly]]