Dems consider reviving primary endorsements Z

The party has 'suffered' from its no-endorsement policy, an official says.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- In an effort to obtain power and influence, Mahoning County Democratic Party officials are considering the reinstatement of endorsements in primary elections, a practice eliminated 11 years ago.
State Rep. Kenneth A. Carano, the party's elections committee chairman and its parliamentarian, is working with Rick Barga, the party's executive director, to look at changes to the organization's constitution. The most notable change, Carano said, is bringing back endorsements.
Carano of Austintown, D-59th, acknowledges the county party has lost political influence locally and on the statewide level by not endorsing candidates.
With 2006 considered the best opportunity for Democrats to wrest some control from Republicans on the statewide level, it is the perfect time to bring back endorsements, he said.
"We need to get the respect we deserve," he said. "We want the Mahoning Valley to be influential. I truly believe we need to do this. The [Mahoning] Democratic Party has suffered without the endorsement process. You need to do it to give us the power."
Lost influence
The party has lost some of its influence and power to political clubs in the county that endorse candidates, Carano said.
Carano wants the party to endorse local and statewide candidates. He wants to bring the proposal to Democratic precinct committee members, who vote on changes to the party's constitution, by early March so endorsements can be made before the May 2 primary.
Lisa Antonini, county Democratic Party chairwoman, said precinct committee members, elected officials and party faithful have asked her during the past year to look at reinstating endorsements during the primary election.
"I can argue for and against it," she said. "It looks like there's a need for it, but I haven't decided what my opinion is on it. We would endorse for the strength of the party."
Carano spearheaded a similar effort in 2001 when Austintown Trustee David Ditzler served as party chairman.
What happened
But the movement died, primarily for two reasons, Carano and Antonini said.
One, the party was preparing for a transfer of power from Ditzler to Antonini. Antonini was elected chairwoman in 2002.
"With the '02 election being a big election and a new chair, the timing wasn't right," Carano said.
The second issue was the backlash to a plan to require all elected and endorsed Democratic officials to give 5 percent of their annual salary to the organization, Carano said. That would have raised about $125,000 annually, and several officials balked at paying the fee.
The party agreed to get rid of the assessment provision, but the lingering bad feelings over it effectively ended a plan to vote on endorsements, Carano said.
The party has no plans to reinstate assessment fees, Antonini and Carano said.
When Michael Morley replaced Don L. Hanni Jr. as party chairman in 1994, the party's precinct committee members voted to eliminate assessment fees and endorsements of candidates in primary elections.
Those two policies were among Morley's core issues when he took office, and they have remained ever since.
The Mahoning County Republican Organization hasn't traditionally endorsed candidates in primaries and has no plans of doing so this year, said Mark Munroe, its vice chairman.
skolnick@vindy.com