COLUMBUS Choice for Ryan's seat narrows

Ohio Senate Democrats will select a new member Tuesday or Wednesday.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
COLUMBUS -- Although all the candidates seeking to replace Tim Ryan in the Ohio Senate have impressive credentials, the choice will probably come down to two candidates, said Senate Minority Leader Greg DiDonato.
The two candidates expected to be the finalists are Marc Dann, a Liberty board of education member, and John Moliterno, a Girard city councilman, DiDonato said.
"There isn't a bad pick here," DiDonato said. "But Dann and Moliterno have done the best job of rallying the troops and lobbying for their candidacy."
The Senate Democratic Caucus leadership on Wednesday interviewed Dann and Moliterno, as well as two other finalists: Warren Councilman Dan Polivka and state Rep. L. George Distel of Conneaut. State Sen.-elect Teresa Fedor of Toledo, the incoming assistant minority whip, missed the interviews with Dann and Moliterno, but has spoken to both of them.
Candidate withdrew
During Distel's interview, he officially withdrew his name from consideration and lobbied on behalf of Joseph Varckette, a former Ashtabula city manager, DiDonato said. Varckette is to be interviewed Tuesday by the caucus.
DiDonato said he and many of the nine other Democratic members of the Ohio Senate have been inundated with telephone calls, e-mails, letters and faxes from supporters of the candidates seeking to replace Ryan, of Niles, as the 32nd Senate District member. Ryan is resigning at the end of the month to beginning serving as a congressman.
"We're getting it from all sides," DiDonato said. "You wouldn't believe how many calls I've gotten in the last week from lobbyists, labor leaders, friends, and political people. Individual members [of the state Senate] have come in with a preference."
From Mahoning Valley
Anthony Cafaro, Cafaro Co. president; Niles Mayor Ralph A. Infante Jr., the Trumbull Democratic vice chairman; and Bill Weimer, corporate counsel for Bruce Zoldan of BJ Alan Fireworks; went to Columbus on Tuesday to lobby for Moliterno. Cafaro and Zoldan are two of the Mahoning Valley's most prominent political donors.
"They did it with taste," DiDonato said of the lobbying effort. "Sometimes these things don't come off right, but they did it tastefully. They were selling John."
The experience was a lot more pleasant, DiDonato said, than the last time Valley political heavyweights lobbied for a vacant state Senate seat.
In 1997, Joseph Vukovich resigned to take a state court of appeals seat and the decision came down to Robert F. Hagan, then a state representative, and Harry Meshel, the former Senate president. Hagan was selected by a 6-5 vote.
"There were some bad experiences the last time, but that was more J.J. [Cafaro] the last time," DiDonato said of Cafaro's brother.
There was heavy-handed politicking during the 1997 selection process, something DiDonato said he is pleased is not happening this time.
"Whatever the outcome, this is going to be done in a gentlemanly way," Anthony Cafaro said. "Whoever is selected will receive my personal congratulations. We're not going to get into the mud on this. There will be no name-calling or attacks on the other candidates."
The four Democratic leaders will recommend one or two candidates by Tuesday to the other six Democrats in the Senate for a vote, DiDonato said. "If it's close between two, we'll have them come before the entire caucus to be interviewed."
An appointment will be made either Tuesday or Wednesday, DiDonato said. The person selected to replace Ryan will fill the outgoing state senator's unexpired term through December 2004.
skolnick@vindy.com