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3 line up to replace Mahoning Dem chief
Lisa Antonini is keeping mum for now on her resignation.
YOUNGSTOWN — Lisa Antonini has resigned as Mahoning County Democratic Party chairwoman, and a line is already forming to replace her.
Antonini stepped down Friday after seven years as chairwoman.
Antonini didn’t return telephone calls Friday from The Vindicator about her resignation. She also did not return phone calls Wednesday and Thursday to comment.
But she confirmed her resignation on her cell phone’s voice-mail message.
“If you’re calling regarding my recent resignation as chair of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, I’ll be available on Monday, April 13,” she said on the message. “I’m doing so in honor of the holy Easter day weekend.”
Kenneth Carano, the party’s executive vice chairman and head of its elections committee, said party officers and its elections committee will meet Monday to work out the procedures to replace Antonini.
The group will also decide when and where the meeting to replace Antonini will take place. Carano wants it in early May.
Under its bylaws, the party is to select a replacement no later than 30 days after Friday, the day Antonini resigned.
Also at the meeting, the group will decide the procedure required for candidates wanting to replace Antonini, Carano said.
Three candidates aren’t waiting for the guidelines to be finalized to campaign for the seat vacated Friday by Antonini.
Antonini had considered resigning as party chairwoman, a position she held for nearly seven years, for several months.
Carano said Antonini had lost interest in running the party and wanted to focus on her job as county treasurer, a position she’s held for two years.
The party position doesn’t come with a salary, and over the years, the influence of the chair has diminished.
Atty. David Betras has spent the past few months meeting with precinct committee members — who will vote on the next party head — and other Democratic officials touting his candidacy.
“I’ve been laying the groundwork” for running for chair, Betras said.
He says he has a seven-page plan for the future of the party and the plan is to mailed at 8 a.m. today to every precinct committee member — there are about 270 of them — as well as to more than 100 Democratic elected officials and “party movers and shakers.”
Jaladah Aslam, the party’s vice chairwoman of labor relations and a member of the state Democratic Party’s executive committee, sent e-mails Thursday to several officeholders and labor leaders announcing her candidacy.
“We need to grow the party,” she said. “We’ve been stagnant. We haven’t grown.”
Also, Sam Matheny, who works at the county board of elections, is contacting precinct committee members seeking support to be chairman.
Elected in June 2002, Antonini replaced Austintown Trustee David Ditzler, who didn’t seek re-election, as the party’s head. Antonini was the first woman to lead the county Democratic party.
She was re-elected in 2006.
Whoever is selected to replace Antonini would fill her unexpired term through June 2010. Precinct committee members would meet at that time to select someone as chair for a full four-year term.
skolnick@vindy.com