David Pepper gets his City Club pulpit.JPG

Would-be Libertarian attorney general candidate Steven Linnabary, who was kept off the ballot because of a candidate petition error, has endorsed Democrat David Pepper (above) for the job.

(Associated Press file)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you can't beat 'em, endorse 'em.

That's Steven Linnabary's thinking, anyway. The disqualified Libertarian candidate for attorney general is backing Democrat David Pepper for the job over incumbent Republican Mike DeWine, Pepper's campaign announced Tuesday.

Linnabary's endorsement isn't all that surprising, considering that Libertarians blame Ohio Republicans for keeping him and Libetarian gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Earl off this year's ballot.

The pair were prevented from running on the technicality that some of their paid petition signature collectors didn't disclose who employed them, as required by state law. A federal judge upheld their disqualification late last week.

In the release, Linnabary, a civil engineer and political activist from Columbus, called Pepper a "man of integrity and common sense."

Republicans, on the other hand, "can't be trusted to fairly and evenhandedly administer the law," he stated.