Where does local political power lie?

As the Columbiana County Board of Elections tabulated the results of Tuesday general election, Democratic Party Chairman Dennis Johnson leaned against a table in the board's office in Lisbon with a "cat ate the canary" look. He was offering an assessment of two key races -- for governor and for the 6th Congressional District.
With Ted Strickland on his way to a landslide victory in the governor's contest over Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell, and with Charlie Wilson, who surprised the political world by winning the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate, enjoying a lead over well-known Republican Chuck Blasdel, the party chairman was asked the following question: "Does this make you the top Democratic operative in the Mahoning Valley?"
Johnson, who has been involved in party politics for many years, paused, and then quipped: "Oh no, there's Lisa Antonini in Mahoning County ..."
As he spoke a smile crossed his face -- and grew wider and wider.
"You're trying to get me into trouble," he said with a laugh.
But Johnson did not challenge the observation that he played a leading role in both campaigns and that his position as party chairman in Columbiana County gave him the ability to offer guidance and assistance to Strickland, who moved to Lisbon not too long ago, and to Wilson, who could not have succeeded without the help of the chairman and the party machine.
It certainly makes Dennis Johnson a top Democratic operative in the Mahoning Valley.
If he, Antonini and Christ Michelakis, chairman of the Trumbull County Democratic Party, all placed telephone calls to Strickland at the same time, the one from Johnson would be answered first.
Early supporter
After all, when the lines for Strickland's congressional district were redrawn to include all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County, Johnson was one of the first people he sought out.
"How close are you to Strickland?" he was asked Tuesday night, as the 6th District congressman was getting ready to deliver his victory speech in Columbus as the governor-elect.
"Pretty close," Johnson replied, again with that Cheshire smile. "He calls me on occasion."
As for Wilson, a businessman from St. Clairsville who was forced to run as a write-in candidate in the May Democratic primary for the congressional seat being vacated by Strickland, the party chairman revealed that "we talk often."
Indeed, he was involved in the discussions about whether Wilson should run as a write-in or as an independent after his nominating petitions were tossed out. But the chairman said that based on the candidate's work ethic and his determination to prove his detractors wrong, the decision was made to do what many political observers felt was foolhardy -- to run as a write-in.
The Democratic National Congressional Committee gave its blessing and committed a large amount of money for a voter-education initiative on how to write in Wilson's name.
The decision was the right one. The candidate not only beat the odds, but took the momentum into the general election and defeated Blasdel, who represents the 1st District in the Ohio House and is one of the leaders in the Republican-controlled chamber.
That's why Dennis Johnson had a smile on his face Tuesday night that just wouldn't go away. Although he has been chairman for 15 years, his being from a smaller county has meant that he has been overshadowed by his counterparts with less time in office in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Not anymore.
Money machine
If Johnson is one of the Valley's political kingmakers, then Youngstown businessman Bruce Zoldan is the area's political money machine.
In this election, Zoldan emerged as the "man to see" when it came to raking in money for campaigns.
Zoldan hosted lucrative fund-raisers for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who will be the first female speaker of the House next year as a result of Democrats wresting control from the Republicans; for Rep. Sherrod Brown, who had U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton come to the Valley on his behalf and attend the fund-raiser for his senatorial race which he won by defeating incumbent Republican Mike DeWine; Strickland; and Atty. Marc Dann, state senator from Liberty, who will be attorney general come January.
All the fund-raisers were held in Zoldan's home and were a financial boon for the Democrats.
Word of Zoldan's abilities has spread like wildfire, which means that in the 2008 presidential election, he is well positioned to be the "man to see" in the Mahoning Valley.