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Party chief to call it quits
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Lisa Antonini, democrat, Mahoning County Treasurer and former Chairwoman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party
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Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-Youngstown. (AP Photo/Larry Phillips)
Lisa Antonini is expected to resign as Democratic boss
YOUNGSTOWN — After nearly seven years as the first chairwoman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, Lisa Antonini will resign the post, as early as today.
Kenneth Carano, the party’s executive vice chairman and head of its elections committee, confirmed that Antonini told him she’s resigning today.
Antonini, elected chairwoman on June 11, 2002, didn’t return numerous telephone calls Wednesday and Thursday to The Vindicator. The party’s former director of operations from 1994 to 1998, Antonini began campaigning for chairwoman in late 2000. She easily defeated Mark Belinky, now a county probate court judge, in the 2002 election for the position to replace Austintown Trustee David Ditzler, who didn’t seek re-election. She won another four-year term in 2006.
“She’s simply not interested in the day-to-day proceedings of being chairwoman,” Carano said of Antonini. “The fire has gone out of her on the political end, and she wants to focus on being treasurer.”
Ironically, Antonini initially resisted being appointed county treasurer after her boss, John Reardon, resigned to work for the state. But Antonini, deputy treasurer at the time, changed her mind, and Democratic precinct committee members elected her to the post March 3, 2007.
Antonini easily won the March 4, 2008, Democratic primary for treasurer and ran unopposed in the November general election.
Since Antonini’s election as chairwoman [and re-election in 2006,] Democrats have successfully retained every partisan office in the heavily Democratic county.
But Antonini alienated Ohio Democratic leaders even though the state party honored her in May 2005 as its woman of the year.
Antonini voted in December 2005 for then-Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Dennis Lieberman over Chris Redfern for state party chairman. Redfern had the backing of many of the state’s most powerful Democrats, including Ted Strickland, and easily won the race.
She, along with the party chairs of the other counties in the 33rd Senate District, strongly criticized the Senate Democratic Caucus for selecting attorney Joe Schiavoni, a political novice, in December 2008 to fill that district’s vacant Senate seat. By selecting Schiavoni, the caucus ignored the candidates recommended by the county Democratic parties, including three nominees from Mahoning County.
Also, Antonini came under criticism by local Democrats for supporting her friend, Martin Yavorcik, an independent running for county prosecutor, against incumbent Democrat Paul J. Gains in the November 2008 election. Gains won.
Carano said Antonini’s “big error” was her decision to not endorse candidates in the 2008 primary that could have strengthened the party’s influence.
State Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, said the party struggled to be united under Antonini.
“There were some ups and down; more downs than ups,” he said of Antonini’s tenure. “The precinct committee people weren’t energized by her.”
Carano said he’ll call a Tuesday meeting of party officers and its elections committee to work out the details of replacing Antonini. The party, under its bylaws, must select a replacement 30 days after a chair resigns.
David Betras, a well-known local attorney, is already actively seeking the position. He’s met with numerous precinct committee members, who vote on the appointment, and plans to send information to each of them about his vision for the party’s future after Antonini’s resignation.
Betras declined Thursday to comment on Antonini’s impending resignation, but said he’d run if she resigned.
He’s already written a seven-page document touting his candidacy, called “A Comprehensive Plan for the Future of the Mahoning County Democratic Party.”
In the document, Betras wrote that he’d “do whatever is necessary to strengthen our party,” and with him as chairman, the party “will be involved in every facet of life in our Valley because that is the only way to bring about the positive change we all want, need and deserve.”
Other potential candidates for chair include Youngstown council President Charles Sammarone; his son, Chris, an attorney who unsuccessfully ran in 2006 for a court of appeals seat; Sam Matheny, who works at the county board of elections; and Jaladah Aslam, the party’s vice chairwoman in charge of labor relations.
skolnick@vindy.com