David Pepper is Ohio Dem Party's chairman

By Marc Kovac | December 17, 2014 at 12:02a.m.

COLUMBUS

A former Hamilton County commissioner and two-time candidate for statewide office has been chosen as the next head of the Ohio Democratic Party.

David Pepper, who lost his bid to unseat Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine last month, was approved by the party’s 148-member executive committee Tuesday night.

Pepper also served as a Cincinnati city councilman and ran unsuccessfully for state auditor four years ago. He told reporters he wants to refocus the party on issues that matter to Ohioans.

“One of the things I really want to do is make sure that the identity of the party is based on issues — things like wages going up, things like public education,” Pepper said. “We shouldn’t be waiting for candidates, for them to have a message. We should have a message long before they even show up so voters understand what we’re about.”

Pepper replaces Chris Redfern, who served as chairman since late 2005, overseeing big Democratic wins at the state level in 2006 and 2008 and big Democratic defeats at the state level in 2010 and last month, when Republicans won all statewide offices and gained additional seats in the Legislature.

Redfern, who also lost his legislative seat last month, plans to spend coming months working on his new Lake Erie winery. He left open the possibility of seeking future political office.

Democrats said it’s time for the party to regroup.

“The good thing about losing everything is we can rebuild,” said Dave Betras, chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic and a member of the state executive committee, who supported Pepper. “In every disaster, there’s opportunity. This is a great opportunity for the party to rebuild itself and find itself under a new chairman.”

State Rep. Robert Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, was among the candidates seeking the chairmanship. He ended up backing Pepper.

“Our message, I thought, should address working families, address the struggles of the poor, and we weren’t doing that,” Hagan said. “The discussion that I had with David Pepper gave me the confidence that he would start to address those issues.”

State Sen. Nina Turner, D-Cleveland, who lost her bid for secretary of state last month, will work with Pepper at the state party.