Boccieri gets left out of leadership positions

The senator-elect said he made a political 'miscalculation.'
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- State Sen.-elect John Boccieri appeared to have relatively smooth sailing in his bid to be the legislative body's next assistant minority leader.
In this case, the appearance was deceiving.
Boccieri, a New Middletown Democrat, got caught in the middle of a battle for the Democratic leader position between state Sens. Teresa Fedor of Toledo and Kimberly Zurz of Green. He won't be part of the party's leadership when his Senate term starts in January.
Boccieri wanted to be assistant minority leader, the party's No. 2 position in the Senate, and had no interest in any other post. Until a few days ago, Boccieri said he was the only person to express interest in that job.
Outgoing state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, the most-senior Democrat in the Senate, had recently said Boccieri, who is replacing him as the 33rd District senator, could have ended up as minority leader if the race between Fedor and Zurz got too contentious.
Wouldn't commit
Boccieri said Fedor and Zurz actively sought his support for minority leader and each offered him a leadership position for his vote. But Boccieri said he wouldn't commit.
Fedor put together a slate with her as minority leader and three others in Democratic leadership positions: state Sen. Tom Roberts of Trotwood as assistant minority leader, Sen. Ray Miller of Columbus as minority whip, and Sen.-elect Lance Mason of Cleveland as assistant minority whip.
The incoming 10-member Democratic Senate Caucus informally discussed the leadership positions Friday and then held a binding vote to support the slate. An official vote, now just a formality, is to be held during the week of Dec. 4. The plan was to vote on the four leadership posts during that week, said Amanda Conn, the caucus' spokeswoman.
"The votes [supporting the slate] were there and they called for a vote," she said. "They sped it up by a couple of weeks."
Boccieri, a state representative who officially joins the Ohio Senate on Jan. 2, said he made a "miscalculation" believing the caucus would stick to its schedule and that each of the four leadership posts would be voted upon individually and not as a slate.
Quotable
"The biggest disappointment is they ran as a slate," he said. "I felt I match up or am better than those on the team. I don't have any hard feelings. Comparatively speaking, I match up on fundraising and doing what has to be done" in comparison to Roberts, Miller and Mason.
The caucus' original plan was to first select replacements Nov. 28 for outgoing state Sens. Marc Dann of Liberty, whose district includes Trumbull County, and Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, whose district includes Columbiana County. After those two appointments were made, the 12 members of the incoming caucus were to vote on leadership.
Boccieri said he was more focused on those two appointments, because they will greatly affect the Mahoning Valley, than on campaigning to be assistant minority leader. Also, he said he wasn't interested in any leadership post below assistant minority leader.
"I'm in politics for only six years," Boccieri said. "You learn as you go."
Attempts to reach Fedor on Friday weren't successful.