Precinct panel likely to OK endorsing candidates

The change would restore power to the party, Democratic officials say.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Democratic precinct committee members will meet today and are expected to approve endorsing candidates in primary elections, a practice eliminated 12 years ago.
The party's elections committee held nine meetings during the last month with precinct committee men and women to discuss that and other proposed changes to the organization's constitution, said state Rep. Kenneth A. Carano, the committee's chairman.
Carano and Lisa Antonini, the party's chairwoman, expect the precinct committee to vote in favor of the proposed changes. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Italian-American Club on Meridian Road.
What proposal says
According to the endorsement proposal, candidates running in the primary could submit written requests, along with the signatures of five precinct committee men or women, formally asking the party to endorse in their races, Carano said. The request must come no later than 21 days after the filing deadline, he said.
The precinct committee men and women would meet and hear brief speeches from the candidates, and then endorse, Carano said. The committee also has the option of choosing not to endorse, he said.
Only those who would be represented by candidates seeking endorsements could vote. For example, only those who live in the 59th Ohio House District could vote to endorse a candidate in that race.
Regardless of who is endorsed in primaries, the party will automatically endorse the primary winner in the general election, Carano said.
Also, those running in nonpartisan races in November general elections, as long as they are registered Democrats, could request the party endorse in their race, Carano said. The party can choose not to endorse in those races.
None for May 2 primary
But endorsements won't be made for the May 2 primary, which has three contested Democratic races: The 60th House District, 7th District Court of Appeals and county commissioner.
"There's not enough time to endorse for May," said Antonini, who supports the return of endorsements. "It's not fair to give candidates only a few weeks to lobby precinct committee people for their votes. It wouldn't be fair."
Carano agrees, but says he plans to offer a motion today to have the party endorse the statewide candidates endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party, including U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon for governor, and state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty for attorney general.
The Mahoning Democratic Party has lost some of its influence and power on the local and state level because it doesn't endorse candidates, Carano said.
"This gives us more power to control the local primaries, but more importantly, it gives us power on the state level," he said. "We'll have influence with those who can bring things back to the Mahoning Valley."
When Michael Morley replaced Don L. Hanni Jr. as Mahoning Democratic chairman in 1994, the party voted to eliminate endorsements.
skolnick@vindy.com