ANY ELECTION EXCITEMENT BUILDING FOR STARK CO. 2012 ELECTIONS IN STARK?

To repeat the headline question:  Any election excitement building for Stark County 2012 elections?

Answer:  yes and no.

Obviously, first and foremost is the Republican presidential primary election which is a part of the overall March 6th Ohio primary elections.

A recent Quinnipiac University Ohio poll shows former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum leading former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney 36% to 29% with former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich coming in at 20% and Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 9%.

However, the big factor two and one-half weeks out from Ohio's primary is the estimate that as many as 50% of those polled say that they are not fixed in their choice.

While Santorum is presently leading across the state, the SCPR believes that Romney is likely ahead in Stark County inasmuch as Santorum appeals to the most conservative part of the Republican Party and The Report does not see Stark Republicans as fitting that description.

The Romney campaign website claims that many prominent Ohio Republicans have endorsed him (e.g. U.S. Senator Rob Portman - January 19, 2012).

It will be interesting to see who, if any of the candidates, actually show up in Stark to campaign, and, more importantly, who shares the stage with the candidate - as a tip off - as to who the local Republican establishment is to support.

Stark County Commissioner Janet Creighton tells the SCPR (as of yesterday) that she is undecided.

Other than the Republican presidential race, there is not that much going on for Stark Countians in the primary.

There is a GOP nomination for U.S. Senator contest going on for the right to match up with Democratic United States Senator Sherrod Brown going on, but it looks as if Josh Mandel (Ohio treasurer) has it locked up which makes the race ho-hum.

 Ditto for Brown.  He has two "write in" opponents.

However, there are two "inside the Columbus beltway" intraparty fights with a Stark County aspect that is likely lost on most Stark County primary voters which could affect who is chairman of the Ohio Republican Party and the Ohio Democratic Party.

First, the Beth Williams versus Sarah Brown 29th District State Central Committee Woman race.

The SCPR is told by Jim Woods of the Medina County Tea Party that the Tea Party contemplates filing litigation against the Kevn DeWine as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party to invalidate a rule that DeWine forced through into the governing rules of the party that requires central committee persons to have voted in the Republican primary in the last two primary elections.  If left to stand, Woods tells The Report, Williams would not be qualified to serve.

There is a fight going on within the Ohio Republican Party with Governor Kasich behind the dissidents to remove DeWine as chairman.

The SCPR's impression is that both Brown and Williams favor DeWine's removal.

It is hard to imagine Sarah Brown not winning a Stark County Republican Party intraparty contest.

Secondly, there is similar fight is going on within the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) as to whether or not Chris Redfern is to remain as chairman of the ODP.

Redfern has recruited Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II to be his man from Stark County.  Healy interesting enough is opposed by his successor 52nd District Ohio House state Representative Stephen Slesnick.

The SCPR believes that Healy is trying to position himself to take over control of the Stark County Democratic Party.  This race will be an indicator of how much strength Healy has among rank and file Democrats.

If Healy wins this race and if Democrats take a bath in the newly formed Ohio House districts (i.e. the 48th - Schuring, and the 50th - Hagan) which the SCPR projects they will, then there might be renewed impetus to set current chairman Randy Gonzalez aside to be replaced by Healy or one of his political confederates with a mission to reinvigorate the Stark County Democratic Party which has fallen on hard times over the last several years.

The Dems could be looking at a loss of the prosecutor's office, the sheriff's department and, perhaps, even the coroner's office come the general election of 2012.

Stay tuned.  The SCPR expects the general election of 2012 to be all excitement!

DORDEA ANNOUNCES HE IS RUNNING FOR STARK CO. SHERIFF. THOUGH HE FACES A GOP PRIMARY CONTEST, SCPR PREDICTS A DORDEA McDONALD FACE-OFF IN NOVEMBER, 2012 IF McDONALD'S HEALTH PERMITS

Though the Stark County Board of Elections website does not indicate that Larry Dordea has pulled petitions preparatory to running for Stark County sheriff, Dordea told the SCPR yesterday that he is in fact circulating petitions and that he will be running in the March 6, 2012 primary.

In 2008, when Dordea ran he was the lone candidate.

But this time around it appears at the very minimum he will be facing retired (as of January 5, 2011) sheriff's department Captain Gary J. Shankle who headed up the patrol division and the investigations unit.  Currently he is a ranger with the Stark County Parks.

To the SCPR, Shankle is the only threat to Dordea's having a second crack at whomever the Democrats put up.

If his health allows, that person will be Chief Deputy Mike McDonald (the jail division).  It is likely that Arnold, Smith and Zink have pulled petitions on news of McDonald's health problems and in pulling petitions for one of two eventualities:

• McDonald decides to withdrawal his filing prior to the filing deadline of December 7th and they would then be ready to go, or
• McDonald keeps his filing in place but later on (within the time the Stark County Party Democratic can replace a candidate) decides that his health will not allow him to continue and consequently Arnold, Smith and Zink can then say that they should be prime considerations to replace McDonald if it comes to such

McDonald is undergoing treatment for cancer and appears optimistic that he will be in condition to run.

There is no doubt with the SCPR that McDonald, if he actually runs, will win a Democratic primary hands down.

On the Republican side, while neither man will criticize the other when The Report spoke with both; it is apparent to yours truly that there is at least a chill between the two.

Dordea is clear that Shankle did not support him as the Republican nominee in 2008.  Shankle refuses to say to The Report whether or not he supported Dordea saying that he does not reveal to anyone how he voted.

Shankle said that he had been thinking about running for several months prior to pulling petitions and that he has been urged by a number of deputies currently on staff at the sheriff's department to run.

The SCPR does not see former Canal Fulton Mayor John Grogan (an lieutenant with the Summit County sheriff's department) and Beach City Police Chief Jim Wood as being factors in the Republican primary should they carry through in filing their petitions.

Dordea says he welcomes all comers in the Republican side of the race but is confident that he will be facing Mike McDonald come November, 2012.