SHARON Dems try to oust councilman for backing GOP candidate

The Republican candidate is actually a Democrat who won a write-in campaign on the GOP ticket.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The Sharon Democratic Committee wants Councilman Raymond Fabian to be removed from his post as an elected committeeman because he is supporting the Republican candidate for mayor.
Chris Outrakis, committee chairwoman and a city councilwoman, said the committee voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the Mercer County Democratic Committee to remove Fabian for the remainder of his term, which expires in December 2002.
The move wouldn't affect Fabian's city council post.
The committee bylaws provide for discipline for any member who supports a candidate in an opposing party. Fabian has violated those bylaws, Outrakis said.
No surprise: Fabian, who has been involved in the Democratic Party since the 1970s, said he wasn't totally surprised by the committee's action but pointed out that he really is backing a Democratic candidate in the Nov. 6 mayoral election.
David O. Ryan, city controller and former police chief, has the official Democratic Party backing because he won the May Democratic primary.
He's being challenged by Lou Rotunno, a Democrat and city councilman who won the Republican Party nomination in the primary through a write-in campaign.
"They're picking on me," Fabian said, noting that he is aware of other Democratic committee members who are also supporting Rotunno.
In Fabian's case, the support is overt.
Letters to the editor: He signed on as treasurer of Rotunno's election committee and has written letters to the editor of The Herald newspaper backing Rotunno.
"It was vindictive. They're mad because of the letters," Fabian said.
He hasn't decided if he will challenge the effort to remove him.
"I don't think they can do that because I'm elected [as a committeeman]," he continued.
Still, being kicked off the committee isn't the end of the world, he added, predicting that he'll save money by not having to attend so many party functions.