POLITICS 2 officials to quit Ohio Dem Party

The political and the communications directors are leaving the state Democratic Party.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
COLUMBUS -- Two top officials at the Ohio Democratic Party are resigning at the end of the month as the party goes in another direction for the upcoming year, concentrating its efforts on fund raising.
Leaving the party are Bill DeMora, the political director and the party's No. 2 official, and Lauren B. Worley, communications director.
"We didn't do a good job the last time around raising money," said Ohio Democratic Chairman Dennis White. "I will be gearing up for major fund-raisers during the early part of next year with a professional fund-raising staff. We're changing our focus and beefing up our fund raising. When you're the party out of power, you have to be frugal with your money."
Because of that, the need for a political director, particularly because there are no statewide races until 2004, and a communications director is not significant, White said.
In the future
The party plans to fill the political director's post in the summer or fall, and DeMora could return, White said. Also, the party may share the services of a communications director with the Ohio House and Senate Democratic caucuses, he said.
"The resignations give [White] a chance to bring his own people in," Worley said. "It's not a mean or nasty decision."
DeMora says he has a strong relationship with White and helped get the chairman elected earlier this year.
The Democrats are coming off a disastrous November general election in which all of its statewide candidates lost, and the party lost seats in the House and Senate.
"The Democrats had big problems, but it's not the fault of one or two people," Worley said. "The changes [at the state party] would have been made regardless of last month's election results."
DeMora has served as the state's political director for three years and has been with the party off and on since 1996. Worley has been with the party for a year. White was elected chairman in June.
DeMora and Worley are planning to remain active in Ohio Democratic politics, but they have not accepted any job offers yet.
Trumbull comments
Christ Michelakis, Trumbull County Democratic chairman, said White should be permitted to reconfigure the state party's staff in the way he best believes will benefit Democrats.
Nicholas Melfi, a former Trumbull chairman, said he is somewhat surprised that it took White this long to institute changes; not that he has anything but praise for the job Worley and particularly DeMora did for the party.
skolnick@vindy.com