TV's Jones to stump for Dems during rally
U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich returns today to oppose a gambling initiative.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Television personality Star Jones is the featured guest at a rally Friday at a North Side church for Democratic statewide candidates.
Jones, best known for her work on ABC's "The View," will join Ted Strickland, the party's gubernatorial candidate; Jennifer Brunner of Columbus, its secretary of state candidate; and Barbara Sykes of Akron, the party's auditor candidate.
The rally is set for 9 a.m. at the S.P. Phillips Fellowship Hall of Tabernacle Baptist Church, 707 Arlington St.
Also, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, traveling through the northeastern portion of the country, including U.S. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas and Stephanie Tubbs Jones -- no relation to Star Jones -- of Cleveland, will attend the rally.
This would be the second Strickland rally at a black Youngstown church in the past two weeks.U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of Los Angeles spoke last Wednesday at an East Side church on behalf of Strickland.
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Strickland, a congressman from Lisbon who is white, and Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell, the secretary of state who is black, are seeking support from black religious leaders. Strickland has a double-digit lead in most polls over Blackwell, of Cincinnati.
Also, U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich was to return today to Youngstown to speak against Issue 3. He spoke against the issue last week in Youngstown.
If approved, the initiative would place slot machines at the seven racetracks in the state and at two proposed casinos in Cleveland.
Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and area pastors were also to join Voinovich to speak against the slot machine issue. Mahoning Democrats announced their support for the issue last week.
The Rev. Rod Parsley, a televangelist and a Blackwell supporter, will visit Youngstown at 1 p.m. Saturday for a rally. The event isn't political, Williams said.