Though she realizes she has little chance of winning the seat as Ohio's new governor, Zanna Feitler is getting her party's word out.

Feitler, 46, a teacher of transcendental meditation from Shaker Heights, has teamed up with John Eastman, 51, an environmental engineer from Yellow Springs for the 1998 Natural Law Party ticket for governor and lieutenant governor.

The Natural Law Party pair announced its candidacy May 4, according to Secretary of State Bob Taft's office. Feitler and Eastman filed a petition with the Secretary of State's office with 8,000 names. Five thousand names are needed to verify the party ticket, which then will need to be checked by county boards of elections to appear on the Nov. 3 general election.

Feitler and Eastman will join Secretary of State Taft and Maureen O'Connor on the Republican ticket, John Mitchel and Lawrence Anderson on the Reform ticket, and Lee Fisher and Michael Coleman on the Democratic ticket in Ohio's gubernatorial race.

Feitler said she is the likely candidate for the Natural Law Party ticket. She has been chairperson of the party for the past three years. Feitler also ran for state representative for District 11 in 1996.

Eastman is not new to state politics either. He ran for state senate in 1996, Feitler said.

The Natural Law Party is focusing on three main issues in its platform: education, prisons, and health care. Members of the Natural Law Party's believe in proven solutions, prevention, and conflict-free politics, Feitler said.

She and her running mate are interested in spending money on preventative measures that will save money and solve Ohio's problems in the long run.

Feitler and Eastman want to initialize proven primary prevention programs in Ohio's health care system that will incorporate a number of different methods including nutritional and daily exercise information to keep Ohioans healthy now and in the future.

The Natural Law Party also wants to begin preventative measures in Ohio's criminal justice system. Feitler said programs must be introduced to the prison systems, including an effective rehabilitation program that will help released criminals contribute to the community.

As a teacher of transcendental meditation, a program not associated with any religion or philosophy that helps to rehabilitate former prison inmates into the community, Feitler promotes prison intervention and rehabilitation. The program helps a person release stress, so he or she may think clearly rather than acting or thinking impulsively, Feitler said.

"I want to ensure our population that when criminals are released that they will be ready to join society," she said.

Feitler said Ohio tax dollars should be used to prevent more problems from arising in the future.

The governor hopeful said money also is needed to solve Ohio's education problem.

"We must have accountability," she said. "We must know where the money is going and for what programs. Issue 2 failed because voters didn't feel secure about where their money was going."

Money alone is not going to help Ohio develop a new school funding system mandated by the Ohio Supreme Court decision in DeRolph vs. the State of Ohio, in which Ohio's school funding system was declared inadequate, inequitable and unconstitutional, she said.

"We need to promote school choice for certain programs and have a clear understanding of what each school needs," Feitler said. "We need to look at what programs are effective."

Eastman said these ideas will help initiate a new paradigm of politics.

"This new paradigm would create a government interested in solving problems rather than which party is in power," he said. "I see current politicians worried about getting re-elected and staying in power."

Like Feitler, Eastman said he realizes he and his running mate have little chance of winning.

"We win if the ideas of the Natural Law Party are picked up and incorporated by the other candidates and the government," he said. "Another way to win is that if the Natural Law Party wins a high enough percentage of the votes, it will be a wake-up call to politics-as-usual."

No one from the Natural Law Party ever has won an elected position, Feitler said. Eastman said he believes in miracles.

OU professor of political science Alexander Prisley said independent candidates, such as this year's Reform and Natural Law parties, have no chance of winning.

"They're virtually 100 percent doomed," he said. "People don't like to vote for a third party candidate. They think it is a waste of a vote."

Prisley said third party candidates act more like pressure groups than a political party.

"I would imagine that they are well-intentioned," he said. "The role of the third party makes thieves out of the two major parties. Democrats and Republicans steal issues from these groups."