MADEIRA -- Businessman David Krikorian (I-Madeira) is feeling good about his chances as a first-time candidate, vying for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. Krikorian predicted that he would pull the highest percentage of votes for any independent candidate in any race throughout the country.

He sees his race as a competition mostly between himself and U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland). Also challenging Schmidt is Dr. Victoria Wulsin (D-Indian Hill). Krikorian said that his biggest challenge in the race is convincing voters who are unenthused about Schmidt, and scared of a Democrat like Wulsin winning, to vote for him.

Krikorian makes the case that some voters might opt for Schmidt as the safest way to ensure that Wulsin will not win the election, even if their preference is for Krikorian. The businessman and entrepreneur Krikorian wants them to reject what he calls this flawed logic, and vote for him.

"We are seeing, all over the district, a huge influx of supporters to our campaign," Krikorian said. "I was out in West Union, which is out in Adams County, yesterday, and out name recognition was just sky high. And most people that we talked to said they were either voting for us, or had voted for us."

Krikorian said his campaign was peaking at the exact right time, and said his opponents were still engaged in the negative campaigning that they've been doing for several cycles, and it's turning people off.

"Our opponents offer nothing," Krikorian said. "And I don't think it's negative to say that. I have seen absolutely nothing from the Wulsin campaign or the Schmidt campaign that shows they have the slightest understanding of economics and finance."

Krikorian said his own economic background in business led him to seek the seat, arguing that the people of the district should be afforded the opportunity to "elect somebody who knows what they're talking about." He said Schmidt and Wulsin offer nothing but regular partisan politics.

"My opponents will spend five times more than I will spend on this race, but yet we're in this race, so how do you account for that?" Krikorian asked. "More money to run more negative ads is what you get from them, and I think people are tired of it."

Krkorian criticized Schmidt for breaking her proposed clean campaign pledge by attacking Wulsin.

"What can Jean Schmidt and Victoria Wulsin offer us? In my opinion, nothing but a party affiliation, there's nothing there," Krikorian said.

Krikorian said that constituents were tired of his two opponents, and were looking for something new.

"Secondly, I think that Congress's approval rating is somewhere around 9 percent," Krikorian said. "So many Americans right now are out there and worried about their job prospects. People are concerned. People are saying, ‘The Democrats and Republicans - neither of them are working on behalf of the American public, so why should I support either one of them."

Krikorian said that major parties are never honest "about the fact that they're half the problem."

He listed a number of problems facing America in arguing that voters are looking for competence in a representative.

"If you watched the debates [in Ohio's 2nd], there can be little doubt who you're voting for in this election," Krikorian said, referring to himself. "Unless you're just a blockheaded Democrat or a blockheaded Republican, you're going to be looking for something different."

Krikorian criticized the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act for not addressing the main problems leading to the economic situation, namely falling home prices.

Krikorian said that the Act should be rescinded by the next Congress, and that money should instead be put into investing in transportation and infrastructure, which he said would create jobs.

"If that means some banking institutions are going to have to fail, then some banking institutions are going to have to fail," Krikorian said. "I didn't cause that problem. They caused that problem."

Krikorian criticized the Treasury Department for first saying that it was going to buy up the bad mortgages, and instead buying stake in the banks themselves. Krikorian said it showed that the government was unsure of what needed to be done.

Krikorian criticized Congress repealing the Glass-Steagall Act, which put a wall between commercial and investment banking. He called is depression-era legislation that acted as prudent regulation. He said greed and fear led to its repeal and the eventual economic turmoil.

Krikorian criticized voters who weren't motivated enough to educate themselves on the issues.

"That's sheep being led to slaughter," Krikorian said. "And the big parties know this. And that's how you get the politics of divisiveness and single-issue voters."

Krikorian said that when he wins the election, he doesn't plan to run for re-election in 2010, but stand for re-election on his accomplishments.

"If I do my job right, everybody in this district will know who I am, and what I'm doing for them," Krikorian said.

Krikorian said all constituents of all political stripes will have an ear with his office.

"They may not agree with me on every single thing," Krikorian said. "But truth be told, me and my wife don't agree on every single thing."

Krikorian said that the important things were fairness to all viewpoints, and careful consideration.

Krikorian talked up the ability to work across the aisle as an independent, not beholden to one political party or the other, as the reason why he would be the most effective representative for the 2nd District.

"You can't do much when you're a party stamp for Democrats or Republicans," Krikorian said. "You're a yes vote or a no vote. What can Jean Schmidt do voting with Republicans 92 percent of the time. There's going to likely be an overwhelming Democratic majority, what is one more in Victoria Wulsin going to do? But what's one independent going to do? That's a big story. That's a big, big story. When I win, they'll be like ‘Oh my gosh, what just happened here?'"

Krikorian painted a grim picture of what might happen to America unless it frees itself from partisan political rule, trite media coverage and an apathetic public.

"I felt that by running and winning as an independent that it would really shake things up and tell the party bosses that it was time to get something done," Krikorian said. "I could go through life as a hermit seeing things that I see around me, pretending that it's not happening. But I'm an idealist at heart. And I think that something should be done."