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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > November > 19 > Entry
Democrats to name new leader of divided party tonight
Far from mounting a united challenge against a county commission seat seen as vulnerable, the Butler County Democratic Party has broken out into a struggle for control of the party.
The party’s executive committee will meet tonight, Nov. 19, to elect a new chairman after Matt Von Stein quietly resigned earlier this month.
Von Stein could not immediately be reached for comment, but party officials say he resigned to focus on his studies after receiving a scholarship from Xavier University.
Von Stein took the party reins last year after former chairman Ron Wardrup was arrested on drunk driving charges.
Tonight, the roughly 140-member party leadership will meet at the IBEW Local 648 post in Hamilton and choose a new party leader. In addition to leading the party, the chairman traditionally takes a paid post on the county Board of Elections.
The leading contenders are Frank Cloud, business manager of the IBEW; and Monroe attorney Brian Harrison.
Cloud is popular within the party, but Harrison boasts support from several local non-party-affiliated political action committees.
Those committees sprung up across the county from the remnants of President Barack Obama’s local campaign. They have since grown to pose a major challenge to the existing party structure.
“It’s the greatest degree of factionalism that I have ever seen in the Butler County Democratic Party,” said Central Committee Chairman John Holcomb. “I have to remain optimistic the new party chair is going to be able to bridge these divides.”
Party leaders fear factionalism is particularly detrimental to them this year. Races coming up next year include a county commission race where the incumbent is under an Ohio Ethics Commission investigation and the GOP appears primed for a costly primary.
Republicans control all county-wide offices in Butler County except for one juvenile judge who was re-elected in a non-partisan race after being appointed by the governor last year.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Democratic Party
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