Mahoning Democrats chief opposes election reforms

Several local Democratic officials support the three statewide initiatives.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- To the disappointment of state Sen. Robert F. Hagan, the Democratic nominee for Youngstown mayor, the party's Mahoning County chairwoman urged voters to reject three Ohio election system reforms on Tuesday's ballot.
Chairwoman Lisa Antonini joined Mark Munroe, the county's Republican vice chairman, at county Democratic headquarters Friday to formally announce their opposition to state Issues 3, 4 and 5. A short distance from the press conference location was a sign in a Democratic headquarters' window urging people to vote in favor of the three issues.
"There's an agreement that there needs to be [election] reform, but when you start to place these types of things into the state Constitution, it makes it very difficult to change it in the future," Antonini said.
Issue 3 would reduce campaign contribution limits to state legislative and statewide candidates from individuals, political action committees and political parties.
Issue 4 creates an independent commission to draw competitive state and congressional districts. The districts are currently redrawn after each U.S. Census, done every 10 years, by five elected officeholders.
Issue 5 gives the secretary of state's election duties to a nine-member state panel.
Support issues
Though the Ohio Democratic Party hasn't taken an official position on the three issues, several Democratic officials -- local ones include Hagan of Youngstown, U.S. Reps. Ted Strickland of Lisbon and Tim Ryan of Niles, and state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty -- support their passage.
Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey, a Democrat who crossed party lines last year to endorse President Bush's re-election, is a co-chairman of a Republican-based group opposed to the amendments.
Antonini said Issue 3 would lessen the power of the local party by restricting the amount it could give to statewide candidates.
As for Issue 4, Antonini said its passage would cut Democratic-dominated Mahoning County into small pieces to make districts competitive statewide, and the ballot language is difficult to understand.
"There's a strong chance Mahoning County would be cut up into several districts, and that wouldn't make sense," she said. "We elect Democrats in this area because we are a Democratic county. To make each district a fair and even playing field would require Mahoning to be carved up, and places that are heavily Republican would also be carved up. That isn't fair."
Disappointed
Hagan said he was very disappointed with Antonini's decision.
"I don't know who she consulted, and then she held a press conference with a Republican," he said. "She's wrong."
Munroe said he recently contacted Antonini to get her opinions on the issues. Because the two had the same position on the three amendments, they decided to make a public statement Friday, he said.
"Republicans and Democrats disagree about many things," Munroe said. "But Lisa and I agree that these amendments are bad for Ohio, bad for the political process, bad for Mahoning County and bad for our local political parties."
skolnick@vindy.com