State Dems chief quits Local leaders plan strategy

Mahoning Valley politicians running for state office said White did a good job.
STAFF/WIRE REPORT
COLUMBUS -- The chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party quit Wednesday after three years, having failed to turn the party around from its long winless streak in statewide races.
Denny White replaced David Leland as party chairman in 2002. In that year's election, Republicans swept statewide races, including the re-election of Gov. Bob Taft, and the GOP took one of only two statewide seats Democrats held after Ohio Supreme Court Justice Francis Sweeney retired.
That left Justice Alice Robie Resnick as the lone Democratic statewide officeholder. She is up for re-election next year but has not decided whether to run. The party has won only two statewide elections -- Sweeney and Resnick -- since 1994.
Bush over Kerry
Last year, the state's 20 electoral votes gave President Bush the election over Democrat John Kerry.
White said the party had accomplished much during his tenure by updating computer systems and putting more workers in the field.
"I am proud of the work we have done together ... and I believe we are now ready to hit a home run," White wrote in a letter to the party's executive committee. His resignation takes effect Nov. 30.
White will become deputy director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, party spokesman Brian Rothenberg said. That board's chairman is Bill Anthony, the former No. 2 to White at the Franklin County Democratic Party, which Anthony now chairs.
Vice-chairwoman Rhine McLin, the mayor of Dayton, assumes the job on an interim basis. It will be up to her to call for the election of the next chairman, but she has not set a date.
Republican scandals
Local Democratic leaders and officeholders reacted to White's resignation by zeroing in on scandals within the Republican-led state administration and opportunities for Democrats to win office in 2006.
"I think we're in a much better position than we were in 2002" in terms of technology and function, said State Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, who is running for state attorney general.
"We need to have the best possible players on the field for the 2006 election," including a party chairman "who wants to be in the job," Dann said. As for White, "I appreciate everything he's done during a difficult time in the party's period," he said.
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, a candidate for governor, lauded White for "representing our core values as Democrats: commitment to community, opportunity and honesty," he said in a statement. Strickland also credited White for modernizing the party's fund raising and field work.
"The next party chair will need to work hard to develop a cohesive message that will include economic development, jobs creation, improving education and making health care available for all Ohioans," said Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon, who is running for state auditor.
Next year may be "the best year for Democrats in many years, perhaps in a generation," Reardon said. "I believe Democrats are going to sweep offices because I believe Ohioans everywhere understand our state, after 15 years of Republican rule, is headed in the wrong direction."
Governor convicted
In recent months, Gov. Bob Taft was convicted of misdemeanor charges of violating state ethics law, and millions of dollars in Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation funds were discovered to be lost in an investment scandal that included rare coins.
"Ohioans are absolutely fed up with corruption in Ohio government," which "has been bought and paid for with campaign contributions to Republican statewide officeholders, including the governor, the attorney general and the state auditor -- and it's repugnant to me. It severely hurts our opportunity for progress," Reardon said.
Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini was unavailable for comment.
There was pressure on White from within the party, but a decision to resign rests entirely with the party chairman, said Greg Haas, political consultant to candidate for governor Michael Coleman, the mayor of Columbus.
"There's no way Denny could have been forced out. It had to be his call," Haas said.
Coleman's opponent in the May 2 primary, Ted Strickland, praised White in a statement for his work on the party's structure. Haas said Coleman's campaign would bow to McLin's wishes but would prefer that the new leadership be in charge only until the regular election for chairman in June.
Both jobs OK
Ohio House Democratic leader Chris Redfern said he is a candidate and could work both jobs if the executive committee elects him.
"The party needs to build upon the things we've been able to achieve. ... We need to focus our energies on raising the money it takes to win elections," Redfern said.
Other notable names mentioned as possible candidates were Athens County chairwoman Susan Gwinn, former U.S. Rep. Dennis Eckart and former Attorney General Lee Fisher, both of Cleveland.