Dann won’t endorse any candidates, his spokesman says
The two congressmen who
ºrepresent the Valley haven’t endorsed.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
LIBERTY — His wife is supporting Barack Obama, but Attorney General Marc Dann is not going to endorse a candidate in the Democratic presidential primary.
“There will be no endorsement of any candidate in any race this year” by Dann, said Leo Jennings, his spokesman.
Also, Dann, a Democrat from Liberty, won’t actively campaign for any candidate, Jennings said Thursday.
That’s because Dann represents Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on election issues as legal counsel, and because a new state law gives Dann “more authority over election fraud,” Jennings said.
Dann and his senior staff members recently made the decision not to have any of them endorse candidates.
Because Dann loves politics and has been involved in numerous campaigns over the years, the decision to not endorse or campaign for candidates was extremely difficult for him, Jennings said.
“He’s been so involved in politics, but our job is to make the election fair,” Jennings said of his boss.
There’s been talk that Dann was going to endorse Obama. That talk increased when Alyssa Lenhoff-Dann, his wife and a Liberty school board member, publicly endorsed Obama on Wednesday. She is also director of Youngstown State University’s journalism program.
“That’s her prerogative” to endorse, Jennings said.
Also Thursday, Dann announced that he was going to cast his vote in the March 4 primary on Monday at the Trumbull County Board of Elections. Dann is also encouraging his staff to vote early to help reduce potential lines at polling places.
Dann won’t reveal which presidential candidate he’s voting for in the primary.
Dann will be a superdelegate representing Ohio at the Democratic National Convention in Denver during Aug. 25-28.
Dann plans to be an unpledged delegate, meaning he wouldn’t be obligated to vote for either presidential candidate.
“He’s a Democrat and he’ll support the Democratic candidate for president,” Jennings said of Dann.
U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, are also superdelegates and haven’t endorsed either presidential candidate.
Ryan wants to hear what Clinton and Obama have to say about their plans for improving the Mahoning Valley’s economy, said Brad Bauman, his spokesman.
Ryan has already talked to Clinton and will speak to Obama about the issue shortly, Bauman said. After that, the congressman who represents portions of Mahoning and Trumbull counties may make an endorsement.
Ryan, however, attended and spoke at a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Youngstown earlier this week. His presence and remarks there did not constitute an endorsement, he said.
Wilson will remain neutral through the Ohio March 4 primary, said Hillary Wicai Viers , his spokeswoman.