Wednesday, October 26, 2011

STARK CHIEF DEPUTY MIKE MCDONALD TELLS SCPR HE "MAY" BE WITHDRAWING FROM STARK SHERIFF'S CONTEST DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS



UPDATED AT 4:25 PM

The Stark County Political Report has learned (confirmed by McDonald) that Chief Deputy McDonald (Stark County Sheriff - Jail Division ) is pondering whether or not to withdraw as a candidate to succeed Sheriff Tim Swanson.

The SCPR has been hearing reports of McDonald having a very serious health condition that may necessitate him abandoning his planned run.

McDonald has been ahead of the pack in obtaining and filing petitions with the Stark County Board of Elections.  His has been filed for some time.

McDonald is not revealing the nature of his illness as he says that doctors have not yet made a specific determination.  He went on to say that he should know within a week or so as to whether or not the illness is of such a gravity that he will have to withdraw his candidacy.

Look for Republican Larry Dordea to pick up petitions after the Alliance City Council elections.  The Report is told by a person close to Dordea that he is definitely going to run.

The Report speculates that Dordea is holding off so as not to jeopardize his chances of being re-elected and thereby preserving the opportunity of the Stark County Republican Party to appoint a successor if he resigns in the event of his election as Stark County sheriff.

Yours truly has learned that at least one other Republican, namely; Gary Shankle, a captain in the patrol division of the Stark County Sheriff's department until he retired in January of this year, has taken out petitions (on Monday of this week) to run for sheriff.

When asked for a reaction about Shankle's taking out of petitions and the certitude of whether or not he was going to run, Dordea declined to comment.

Before McDonald threw his hat into the ring, Jackson Township Chief of Police David Zink, a Democrat, told The Report he was considering such a run.

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