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Antonini: State party left me out
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Lisa Antonini, democrat, Mahoning County Treasurer and former Chairwoman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party
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Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern
The state Democratic chairman said it was Antonini who walked away from the party.
YOUNGSTOWN — Ex-Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini said she was excluded from state party politics after she voted against Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern.
But Redfern says Antonini walked away from the state party after that December 2005 vote.
Antonini resigned Friday as the first county Democratic Party chairwoman after nearly seven years in that position. She said Monday she quit because she couldn’t devote the time needed to be chairwoman and serve as county treasurer.
“I could feel in my heart and soul it wasn’t in me” to remain as chairwoman, she said. “I wasn’t putting a lot of time into it. It requires a lot of time going to Columbus, speaking and meeting with Democratic officeholders and precinct committee members. It was my problem and my fault.”
Antonini said her frosty relationship with state Democratic leaders didn’t lead to her resignation, but she was disappointed it existed.
Problems with Redfern began when Antonini supported then-Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Dennis Lieberman for state party chairman over Redfern, then the Ohio House minority leader. Antonini said she wasn’t alone in supporting Lieberman.
“Unfortunately, I was on the other end of the vote, and the result was you are cut out of the loop,” Antonini said. “It’s unfortunate Chris Redfern took a stand against me.”
Redfern sees the situation differently, however.
“The facts aren’t on her side,” he said.
As chairwoman of Mahoning, one of the state’s 10 most-populated counties, Antonini is automatically a member of the Ohio Democratic Party’s executive committee.
Since his election as state chairman, Redfern said Antonini hasn’t attended any executive committee meetings, which take place at least four times a year.
“It does no one any constructive good to rehash the reasons why Lisa Antonini wouldn’t support the Ohio Democratic Party the past 3 1‚Ñ2 years,” Redfern said when asked about his relationship with her. “I wish her well in her retirement from politics and hope she gets over whatever discontent she has for the Ohio Democratic Party and me.”
As for her proudest accomplishments as chairwoman, Antonini said they were electing good younger people to office, strong vote totals for state and federal candidates in the county and turning around the party’s financial situation.
Antonini said she decided to resign now — a quiet time in politics — to make sure that whoever succeeds her has enough time to be comfortable in the job in preparation of the 2010 election, when all statewide executive office seats and a U.S. Senate position, among others, are on the ballot.
Antonini isn’t endorsing her replacement, at least for now.
Atty. David Betras, she said, is the only candidate to contact her to discuss the position.
She complimented Betras for having a plan for the party’s future and possessing the skills, resources and time to do the job effectively.
Jaladah Aslam, the party’s vice chairwoman of labor relations, and Sam Matheny, who works at the county elections board, are also planning to run for the position.
Kenneth Carano, the party’s executive vice chairman and interim chairman, said Democratic precinct committee members will meet in early May to vote on a new party leader.
skolnick@vindy.com