Effort to get Ted Strickland endorsed by Ohio Dems expected


By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

A move to get ex-Gov. Ted Strickland endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party’s executive committee, a year before the 2016 U.S. Senate primary, is expected when the committee meets Saturday.

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras, an executive committee member, said Louis Capobianco, a Strickland campaign adviser, called urging him and other committee members from the Mahoning Valley to support the former governor if the expected vote takes place.

The committee is meeting Saturday in Columbus. Betras won’t be there, but he said the area’s other committee members will attend and vote to endorse Strickland.

“I’d absolutely like to see [Strickland] get endorsed,” Betras said.

Also, an email sent by Bill DeMora, the committee’s secretary, to the 148 members and obtained by The Vindicator states: “Although it’s not part of the formal agenda, we are receiving indication from some members of the executive committee that they may seek an endorsement in the U.S. Senate race, so be prepared to discuss that as well.”

Dennis Willard, Strickland’s campaign spokesman, declined to comment.

Strickland has picked up a number of key endorsements since his official announcement Feb. 25 that he was running for the Senate seat held by Republican incumbent Rob Portman. Among the endorsements are former President Bill Clinton, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, Marcia L. Fudge and Joyce Beatty and several county party chairmen.

The endorsements are part of an effort to get Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld out of the Democratic primary for the Senate seat, giving Strickland a clear path to face Portman in next year’s general election. Sittenfeld is staying in the race, said Dale Butland, his campaign spokesman.

A recent poll had Strickland ahead of Portman by 9 percentage points, and Sittenfeld trailing the Republican by 20 percentage points. Sittenfeld’s campaign said it raised $757,043 during the first quarter of the year. Strickland hasn’t provided his first-quarter total yet.

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