Will new faces remake local Democratic Party?

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 9:09 AM Monday, March 8, 2010

HAMILTON — Glenna Fisher was surprised this fall when she learned many of the leadership posts of the local Democratic party were empty. They couldn’t find anyone to fill them in historically conservative Butler County.

“Not having an office filled is not very good for the Democratic process, so I decided I’d do that,” she said.

Fisher filed Wednesday, March 3, as a write in-candidate for Democratic central committee representation of her east Middletown neighborhood.

She is one of 167 Democrats on the ballot and 39 write-in candidates for the party’s central committees.

“I would say a good half of them are brand new people, people who have never run for the Butler County central committee before,” said Don Daiker, former party chairman whose Progressive Political Action Committee has encouraged people to run.

It’s a flood of new faces with the potential to dramatically remake the local, fledgling Democratic Party — which had to appoint many of the roughly 120 incumbents to fill seats on the committee — still leaving about 178 empty.

One reason for the raised interest is President Barack Obama. His local campaign in 2008 led to several spin-off political action committees such as the Progressive PAC that became involved in local politics.

“The Obama campaign was the most dynamic and inclusive campaign I have ever been involved with,” Daiker said. “The only way we can continue the movement ... is by staying involved.”

The age-old Democratic struggle

For some, this year’s central committee races highlight a divide in the local party — almost a caricature of the Democratic Party at large.

There are the “progressives,” embodied by the PACs: college professors and liberals, often meeting up the street from the university. Their fundraisers literally feature cheese and wine.

Then there’s the old guard. The blue-collar Democrats who meet at the union hall, then go out afterward for a beer.

The incumbents include Kristie McElfresh, who says she has served on the central committee at least two terms. She is facing a rare challenger in her Monroe precinct: Robert Cooper, who could not be reached for comment.

McElfresh takes the number of new candidates to signal “a difference in opinion in how the party is running, the direction in which the party is going.”

Fisher said the current party obviously needs something: it has been completely unsuccessful in getting any Democrats elected in local partisan races. But she said she’s not part of an overthrow.

“I think the Democratic Party in Butler County has some good leadership now (but) it needs reinvigoration and I think certainly there needs to be some changes,” she said.

“I don’t think we have overly liberal people who want to take over the party,” she said. “I do think that we have people who want the party moved in positive and modern directions.”

“I really think that we have a lot of different people who seem to be getting involved for a variety of their own reasons,” added Monroe attorney Brian Harrison.

Harrison is a founding member of the Change Butler PAC. He also ran for party chairman last year, a position elected by the central committee. He dropped off nine write-in candidate’s petitions on Wednesday for seats where no one else is running.

‘Factionalism is death’

“It’s been my experience that the majority of newcomers to the party are simply enthusiastic about being involved and advancing the party here at the county level,” said John Holcomb, a party leader.

“There are a few who perceive the local party as being too moderate for their tastes and hope to move it to the left,” he said. “But I really don’t think that’s a strategy for short-term or long-term success in this county.”

Frank Cloud, who won the party chairmanship last year, said he’s not concerned about the challenge to the status quo.

“I think it’s going to make the party stronger,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of discontent here, especially with the Republican Party and everything that’s going on, and I think more people are wanting to get involved in the process.”

But Holcomb — who called the run-up to the chairman vote in November “the greatest degree of factionalism that I have ever seen in the (party).” — said if there are different camps, they are united behind their Democratic candidates.

Daiker agreed, calling this year’s candidates “by far stronger than we’ve had not only in years, but in decades.”

And this is important, Holcomb said in November, because for a party already at a disadvantage against the local GOP, “I think factionalism is death.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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