The Hamilton County Democratic Party voted Saturday to appoint Victoria Parks to serve the remainder of Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune’s unfinished term.
Parks’ appointment makes the commission entirely female and majority African-American for the first time in county history. Parks joins fellow Democrats Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow-Dumas on the commission.
She was sworn in after the vote at the party’s meeting Saturday.
“Historic vote today,” the Hamilton County Democratic Party tweeted following the meeting. “Hamilton County Commission all women and majority African American!”
After almost two decades on the commission, Portune retired at the end of 2019 as he battles cancer. Parks was his chief-of-staff, and Portune requested her appointment to finish out his term, which concludes at the end of 2020.
Three Democrats are vying for the opportunity to run against Republican Andy Black to fill Portune’s seat full-time next year, but Parks is not among them. Former State Reps. Alicia Reece and Connie Pillich, along with community activist Kelli Prather, are facing off in the Democratic Party primary this year for that chance.
This article appears in Jan 8-21, 2020.
