OHIO SENATE Seat held by Ryan draws interest

The decision on a replacement would rest with the Senate Democratic caucus.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
WARREN -- Timothy J. Ryan still holds his state Senate seat, but there's a line of people waiting to replace him.
If Ryan wins next month's 17th Congressional District race, the Senate Democratic Caucus must find a replacement by January for the 32nd Ohio Senate District. The person appointed would fill Ryan's unexpired term through December 2004.
Senate Minority Leader Greg DiDonato said he has been contacted by Marc Dann, a Liberty school board member who lost the 2000 Democrat primary for the seat, and former state Rep. June Lucas.
Also, departing state Rep. Anthony A. Latell Jr., who gave up his seat to run for Congress and lost the May Democratic primary to Ryan, asked DiDonato about the appointment. Because of the state's term limit laws, Latell, a former state senator, cannot make a bid to return to that seat for two years.
Trumbull County makes up about 75 percent of the 32nd Ohio Senate District with the rest coming from Ashtabula County.
Parties' role
The replacement process, should Ryan win Nov. 5, would start with the Trumbull and Ashtabula Democratic parties.
Those interested in the seat would submit their names to their respective county Democratic Party, DiDonato said. The parties would hold meetings of their precinct committee members, recommend three candidates -- possibly rating them in their preferred order -- and turn the lists over to the Senate Democratic Caucus leadership.
The caucus leadership would recommend one or two finalists to the full 11-member Senate Democratic Caucus -- Ryan would not be included -- for a vote, DiDonato said.
The process would begin shortly after the Nov. 5 election should Ryan win, DiDonato said.
Expressing interest
Some people aren't waiting.
Trumbull Democratic Chairman Christ Michelakis said interest has been expressed to him by Dann; John Moliterno, a Girard city councilman and former head of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber; Rokey Suleman, Mary Boyle's Trumbull County coordinator who has worked on state Sen. Robert F. Hagan's campaigns; and John Kubilis, president of the United Steelworkers of America Local 2243, which represents laid-off CSC Ltd. employees.
"I'm expecting a lot more," Michelakis said.
In all likelihood, the Senate Caucus would pick Ryan's replacement from the finalists submitted by Trumbull and Ashtabula Democrats. That could be a problem for Lucas, an outspoken critic of the Trumbull Democratic Party in the past.
One person who is not interested is state Rep. Dan Sferra, who is up for re-election for his state House seat, which takes in about half of Trumbull County.
Ashtabula County
State Rep. L. George Distel, who represents Ashtabula County in the state House, said he wouldn't rule out running for the Senate seat but probably won't seek the office. Distel is touting the candidacy of Joseph Verckette, a former Ashtabula city manager.
Ashtabula Democratic Chairman Art Zensel declined to discuss possible candidates but said he has been contacted by two people, one who is believed to be Verckette.
The Senate Democrats are using this process because of "chaos and too much politics" in previous state Legislature appointments from the Mahoning Valley, DiDonato said.
DiDonato pointed to the 1997 appointment of Hagan to the state Senate and the 1998 appointment of Chris Verich to the state House.
Mahoning Democratic precinct leaders recommended Hagan to replace Joseph Vukovich in the state Senate, but after politicking on both sides, the Senate Caucus appointed him by a 6-5 vote over former Senate Majority Leader Harry Meshel.
Verich was appointed to replace his brother, Michael, without a vote of Trumbull precinct committee members, who objected to the move.
"This is a better process than having people wheel and deal and manipulate," DiDonato said.
skolnick@vindy.com