SCPR "ELECTION 2009 SERIES" (VOL 28): IS FORMER STARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR LOOKING OUT FOR REPUBLICAN MASSILLON WARD 5 COUNCILMAN DONNIE PETERS, JR?

Last week the SCPR learned that the Stark County Republican Party is leaning on Massillon Ward 5 councilman and Republican Donnie Peters, Jr. to run for the seat of incumbent (2010) Todd Bosley.

But the tale will not be told on who is running against Bosley until Stark County voters speak on Issue 5 Tuesday nest.

If the tax is retained, then Peters, Jr. and the likes of Jackson trustee James Walters will think twice about wanting to take on Bosley.

If the tax retention loses narrowly, Peters, Walters et al (remembering that Bosley has every prominent Republican politician in Stark County chomping at the bit to take him on), then the potentials will only be thinking once.

If retaining the tax loses bigtime, then Bosley could be right.  There may well be a huge fight within the Stark County Repubican Party as to gets the opportunity to take Bosley on.

Of all the candidates discussed, Donnie Peters, Jr. could well be the choice no matter which scenario set up in the preceding three sentences.

Why so?

Because Peters, Jr has "an ace in the hole."

Really?

Yes, really.

The "ace in the hole" is former Stark County Democratic Party chairman and current Massillon clerk of courts Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

What's the connection?

They are both juniors (i.e. Donnie Peters, Jr/Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.)

Only kidding.

The word is that both have daughters that play basketball for the Massillon Tigers and that is the "tie that binds."

Really?

Sounds crazy, but if you get Maier in a conversation about Massillon Lady Tiger basketball he will go on and on and on and on about what a terrific player his daughter is.

To be expected, no?

Of course, but isn't it a bit far fetched to suggest that a bond like this filters into Stark County politics?

Yours truly thinks so, but SCPR sources insist that the Peters/Maier basketball tie is why Democrats do not put anyone up against Peters (Peters is running "unopposed" on Tuesday, ran  "unopposed in 2007" but not in 2005) in the heavily Democratic Massillon 5th ward.

And Ward 5 is heavily Democratic.  Look at the numbers in the Obama/McCain race circa 2008:  30, 40, 38, 34 and 45 per cent in the five precincts.

For the SCPR, Maier's affinity for Republicans is nothing new.  Last time around, Scott Oelslager had no opposition in the 51st Ohio House District.  Moreover, yours truly knows from one-on-one conversations that - even as party chairman - Maier was sitting on his hands for some Democratic candidates.

An example?

Yes, Jan Schwartz when she ran for the Ohio Senate against Kirk Schuring.

The SCPR does not think that Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. is particularly fond of Commissioner Bosley.

So if  "basketball friend" does run and does survive a Republican primary, it doesn't take much of a stretch to see former Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, JR pulling for (and, perhaps, sub rosa) campaigning for the Republican over the incumbent Democrat.