McKelvey seeks appointment

The party chairwoman also plans to run.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ex-Mahoning County Treasurer George M. McKelvey, who upset Democratic Party faithful with his 2004 endorsement of President Bush, is seeking the appointment by county Democratic precinct committee members to his old job.
McKelvey submitted a letter of interest Thursday for the vacant seat to county Democratic Chairwoman Lisa Antonini, who is running for the position.
Candidates for the seat officially vacated this week by John Reardon must send a letter of interest and a r & eacute;sum & eacute; by Monday to Kenneth Carano, the county Democratic Party's executive vice chairman, at his home: 1906 Countryside Drive, Austintown 44515. To be considered, candidates must be a Democrats, at least 18 years old and Mahoning County residents.
County Democratic precinct committee members will meet March 3 to select Reardon's replacement.
Antonini, of Austintown, said she'll submit her letter and r & eacute;sum & eacute; to Carano over the weekend. She will also give McKelvey's letter to Carano.
McKelvey couldn't be reached Wednesday to comment. But Antonini said McKelvey wrote in the letter that he has the experience and leadership to run the treasurer's office.
McKelvey was first elected county treasurer in 1988 and served until January 1998, when he resigned after winning the first of his two terms as Youngstown mayor. McKelvey wasn't permitted to run for a third mayoral term in 2005 because of the city's term-limits law.
Bush endorsement
As the Democratic mayor of one of Ohio's most Democratic cities, McKelvey attracted national attention in 2004 when he crossed party lines and publicly endorsed Bush. The decision resulted in public outrage by local and state Democratic officials.
Though Bush won the election and captured Ohio's electoral votes, he fared poorly in Mahoning County.
McKelvey challenged county Commissioner David Ludt of Poland in last year's Democratic primary. McKelvey lost, receiving less than 30 percent of the vote in the two-man race.
Carano said he was surprised by McKelvey's candidacy, particularly because the former mayor and treasurer will be asking Democratic precinct committee members to vote for him over the party's chairwoman for the job.
"He won't be the front-runner," Carano said of McKelvey while laughing. "But it will make it a much more interesting meeting."
Antonini, the chief deputy in the treasurer's office, had initially said she wasn't interested in replacing Reardon, of Boardman, who resigned to take a position in the Gov. Ted Strickland administration.
But Antonini reconsidered, saying she did so because people asked her to seek the appointment.
Struthers Councilman Dan Yemma, D-3rd, was the original clear favorite for the appointment. After Antonini changed her mind, Yemma withdrew, saying it would be "hard to get the vote from precinct committee member against the party chair. It's not a winnable race."
skolnick@vindy.com