Who will lead Mahoning County Dems?

By David Skolnick

Besides playing hello stranger, Mahoning County Democratic Party precinct committee members will meet Monday to elect a new chairman and treasurer.

There are four candidates running for treasurer.

The party doesn’t have much money and has operated without a treasurer for about six months.

Of more importance is the election of the party’s next chairman.

County Treasurer Lisa Antonini resigned April 10 as party chairwoman after nearly seven years at that post.

Those seeking to succeed Antonini are Atty. David Betras; Jaladah Aslam, the party’s vice chairwoman of labor relations who’s heavily involved in organized labor; and Mike Klim, a financial consultant.

Betras is heavily favored to be elected to fill out the remaining year of Antonini’s unexpired term.

Betras is best known for his frequent appearances as a “legal expert” on television and radio, and the many commercials his law firm airs.

Statewide, he’s probably best known as a longtime friend and former law partner of ex-Attorney General Marc Dann.

Betras was heavily involved in Dann’s successful 2006 campaign and served as treasurer of Dann’s transition organization.

Dann resigned a year ago after an internal AG investigation described the office as unprofessional and one filled with cronyism.

Later investigations revealed potential criminal activity by those who served under Dann, and a state inspector general’s report questioned money paid by the transition organization.

The Dann connection isn’t going to impact the final outcome of the precinct committee members’ vote. An unsigned letter from “precinct committee members who don’t support anyone” is being circulated attacking Betras for his ties to Dann and Leo Jennings III, Dann’s former communications director.

Betras’ relationship with Dann could have some impact on the state level because those at the higher end of the Ohio Democratic political hierarchy aren’t interested in being tied to the former attorney general in any way.

But the Mahoning County Democratic Party has had minimal involvement on the state Democratic level so it couldn’t get worse.

For the past several months, Betras has met with precinct committee members — who vote for the party chairman — and elected Democratic officials campaigning for the job if Antonini resigned.

Antonini had thought about resigning for several months before finally doing so two weeks ago.

Since Antonini’s resignation, the Betras-for-chairman drum has been repeatedly beating.

Richard “Oz” Ouzounian, director of communications at Betras’ law firm who plans to run for Boardman trustee in the November election, has sent e-mails to the local media about Betras’ campaign.

For those who care, Betras has the endorsements of Columbiana County Democratic Chairman Dennis Johnson, and Jim Graham and David Green, the two United Auto Workers union chairmen at the Lordstown General Motors complex.

None of them are precinct committee members, and only Green lives in Mahoning County.

Significantly more important is Betras’ seven-page plan for the party’s future.

The plan calls for more meetings with precinct committee members, local Democratic officials, labor union officials, and leaders in the religious, black and Hispanic communities.

Betras wants to actually use the party’s ability to endorse during the primary election, something the precinct committee members agreed to do three years ago. Endorsements were only used twice: for Dann and Gov. Ted Strickland in 2006.

Betras also wants to create a finance committee to create and implement a long-term fundraising plan.

The winner of Monday’s chairman election will have some time to get organized before the major 2010 election, but can’t wait too long.

Antonini decided to resign during a very slow time in politics to give her successor the time to prepare.

The 2010 election includes races for all statewide executive office positions, the two congressional positions that have Mahoning in its districts, all four state legislative seats that include Mahoning, and some county positions.

Also, the county Democratic chairman seat expires in June 2010.