For Steinberger, Being On the Ballot Is Half the Battle

In the cynical world of politics, a scandal involving the incumbent’s finances six weeks before Election Day would seem to be just the break an upstart challenger needs. Unless the incumbent happens to be House Speaker Bobby Harrell. While Harrell’s name has been grabbing headlines in the last two weeks, his challenger’s name—John Steinberger—has scarcely been mentioned.

“I’m very disappointed in the media coverage,” Steinberger told Patch. “People should be informed that there is a choice.”

Steinberger is challenging Harrell, arguably the state’s most powerful politician, as a petition candidate for the right to serve House District 114. It’s a daunting task. So daunting that Steinberger is the first candidate to challenge Harrell in over decade.

A further testament to the power of incumbency is the disparity between Steinberger and Harrell in fundraising. The most recent numbers available show the incumbent bringing in $470,188 compared to Steinberger’s $2,450.

Despite those figures Steinberger said he and the ideas he’s promoting have gotten a good response when he’s spoken to voters. “People like the idea of school choice and ethics reform,” Steinberger said. “It’s part of an overall movement towards liberty in the state.”

Steinberger is in favor of giving the governor’s office more power. “The governor should be like the state’s CEO and should have the authority to act that way,” he said.

Steinberger also believes in a so-called “Trigger Law” which would allow a public school to become a charter school with a two-thirds vote of the school's parents.*

Generally, though, Steinberger, like the many other petition candidates said voters are mad. “They believe we deserve better from our politicians,” he said. “People are paying attention to politicians more now than they have in the past.”

The road to the ballot was not easy for Steinberger. He originally filed to run for Senate District 41, but was purged from the ballot by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the spring. After some reflection, he decided to challenge Harrell as a petition candidate. He received the requisite number of signatures and now finds himself taking on the Speaker of the House, a challenge he knows that has long odds, but is worth the effort.

“There’s no instruction manual for a petition candidate,” Steinberger said. “We’re just going door-to-door and I’m determined to be in front of as many people as possible.”

NOTE: - This article originally described "Trigger Laws" inaccurately. It has since been corrected.

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