HOMECOMING FOR BERNABEI AS HE ANNOUNCES FOR RE-ELECTION AS A DEMOCRAT

SEE BERNABEI'S
LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IN APPENDIX SECTION OF THIS BLOG

It caused quite ruckus in the Stark County Democratic Party when lifelong Democrat
Thomas M. Bernabei (who at the time was an elected Democratic Stark County commissioner) when, on May 4, 2015 he announced he was running as an "independent" for mayor of Canton.

Bernabei said at the time that the prospect of Healy for a third term or Perez based on the one debate the two had convinced him to switch to "independent" from being a 45 year long Democrat because he felt that Canton could not solve its problems under the leadership of either.

William J. Healy, II on 2015 primary election eve was focused on his Democratic Primary opponent Kim Perez (a former Stark County auditor and now Canton city treasurer).

Healy easily defeated Perez but had to have his eye on Bernabei knowing that Kim Perez proved to be predictably easy to defeat whereas Bernabei having been:

• Canton law director for years,
• A Canton councilman,n
• Healy's first service director (whom Healy fired after about of Bernabei being on the job

Not one politically sophisticated person the SCPR has talked to since Bernabei re-registered as an "independent" believed that he had changed his overall preference for the Democratic position on issue and which candidate, in a contest between a Democratic/Republican candidate, he most certainly voted.

It is a tad ironic that Bernabei's election margin was likely fueled by Republicans who voted for "independent" Tom Bernabei.

Democrats led by then Stark Dems chairman Phil Giavasis challenged the Bernabei "independent" candidacy with the Stark County Board of Elections (BOE).  And, a bunch of Canton councilpersons supported keeping Bernabei off the ballot.

The two Republicans on the BOE (Cline and Braden) sided with Bernabei whereas the two Democrats (Sherer, II and Ferruccio [the current Dems' chairman]) tried to keep Bernabei off the November, 2015 general election ballot.

With the tie, it was up to Republican secretary of state Jon Husted to decide and he opted to allow the Bernabei "independent" candidacy.

Of course, Healy was furious with the SCPR and here is the 1:10 video (taken at the time of Bernabei's 2015 announcement) to prove it.



Bernabei went on to win a narrow victory over the two-term Healy seeking a third term.

• Note:  a Bernabei'scompetitor for the service director job was Louis Giavasis (brother of then Dems' chairman Phil).  Louis is now Stark County clerk of courts and about a year ago was suggesting he might run for mayor this year.

Think Louis is considering challenging Bernabei?

Probably not.

A Louis Giavasis candidacy would set off and donneybrook of a fight within the Stark County Democratic Party that would make Bernabei's challenge of Healy look like "kids play."

APPENDIX

Here is a pdf file wherein Bernabei lists his take on his accomplishments as mayor in making his announcement today.