Valley Dems eager, ready to rebut GOP at convention

YOUNGSTOWN — With the 2012 Republican National Convention in the books, the Democrats — including several from the Mahoning Valley — take center stage on the political landscape with its three-day convention, beginning Tuesday.

A dozen Valley Democrats are serving as delegates at the Charlotte, N.C., convention that culminates with President Barack Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night.

Among those first-time delegates is David Betras, the Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman.

“We’ve been busy even though the official start is” Tuesday, he said. “There’s a lot of networking going on. [Tuesday] starts the full program.”

Also going for the first time is Sean T. McKinney, Youngstown’s buildings and grounds commissioner.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” he said. “I am very excited to represent the area and the city. I’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the decision-makers."

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com