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Because Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune took the politically risky move of placing a proposed sales tax on the ballot last fall, local Democrats should reward him by ensuring he doesn’t face a competitor this fall who’s endorsed by the Republican Party. That was the argument pushed at a meeting April 21 of the Hamilton County Democratic Party’s Central Committee by supporters of an election deal cut in January by party insiders.
At the meeting, deal supporters recalled that voters defeated last year’s sales tax, which would have built a new county jail, by 56-44 percent. It was the second time in a year that voters rejected the tax and that could make Portune vulnerable in his re-election bid, the supporters said.
“The justice issue was very divisive,” said former Cincinnati City Councilman Dwight Tillery. “I think we owe this to Todd.”
Opponents of the deal countered that giving voters a choice in both county commission races on the November ballot was more important than ensuring an easy victory for Portune.
“We all worked hard to convince people that the Democratic Party is the party of principle,” said local attorney Tim Mara. “Is it so important that we remain in control that we deprive voters of a choice this fall?”
The central committee was asked to consider an endorsement for Chris Dole, a registered Democrat who decided to run as independent for the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners against a Republican candidate after the deal between the local Democratic and Republican parties sparked public outrage.
Under the deal, Republican Greg Hartmann and incumbent Portune, a Democrat, persuaded party bosses to eliminate party-endorsed competition in their separate commission races. The Democratic Party promised not to run a candidate against Hartmann, and in return the GOP wouldn’t endorse any candidate who challenged Portune.
Hartmann is campaigning for the seat held by Republican Pat DeWine, who isn’t seeking re-election. The deal means the Republicans essentially are assured of keeping one seat on the three-member county commission.
Ultimately, the Democratic Party’s Central Committee gave Portune and Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke a victory by upholding the deal April 21. The committee voted 98-23 not to endorse Dole.
Dan Radford, a former AFL-CIO union leader who supports the deal, said endorsing Dole would have undermined Burke’s leadership.
“We have to make sure our leadership retains the credibility and high respect they have now,” Radford said.
But Dole, an electrician who’s also a Crosby Township trustee, got some union support. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers supported his endorsement bid and helped Dole collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Former Congressman Tom Luken, who supported Dole’s endorsement, mocked a letter that Burke sent to precinct executives describing Hartmann as a “friend of labor.”
“We do know Mr. Hartmann is a friend of Bush and a friend of Cheney,” Luken said.
Hartmann served as 2004 chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in southwest Ohio. He moved to Cincinnati from Texas in 1999, and Hartmann’s father is a Dallas attorney who represented Vice President Dick Cheney in lawsuits arising from the disputed 2000 presidential election.
Currently, Hyde Park real estate broker Ed Rothenberg is running against Portune, but Rothenberg isn’t endorsed by the GOP. Burke worried that the Republican Party would replace Rothenberg on the ballot with Tracy Winkler — wife of Common Pleas Judge Ralph “Ted” Winkler — and throw large amounts of cash her way if the Democrats endorsed Dole.
“Never before have we been able to sustain a Democratic majority (on the county commission) for more than two years,” Burke said.
In an effort to boost support for the election deal the committee’s vote, Burke told the crowd that Portune didn’t need the pressures of a hard-fought campaign and reminded attendees that he has a young daughter at home who has Down Syndrome.
Portune attended the meeting but didn’t speak. Instead, his campaign workers distribute copies of a letter supporting the deal as precinct executives entered the meeting hall.
“Contrary to popular opinion, we did not have a firm opponent to Greg Hartmann in the other commission race,” Portune’s letter stated. “The only person who had expressed any interest whatsoever was (Democrat) Greg Harris. Greg Harris told me he would do whatever gave me the best chance to win and I told him what it was.
“If Greg Harris ran, the Republicans would run Tracy Winkler and shower her with money and support. So, Greg opted not to run and in return the Republicans have not endorsed my opponent, nor will they.”
In fact, although Portune downplays Harris’ candidacy while maintaining Winkler was lined up as his own opponent, Harris had done more work to make the ballot. He was recruited by Democrats to run for the county commission and had enough signatures to qualify for the ballot; Winkler hadn’t yet collected signatures.
Portune also actively lobbied Harris to drop out of the race and had people call his supervisor at his day job to gauge whether the boss could get Harris to reconsider.
County Commissioner David Pepper, also a Democrat, isn’t up for re-election this year. Because Pepper didn’t get his paperwork into the committee in time to renew his status as a precinct executive, he couldn’t vote on the endorsement April 21.
Pepper has criticized the deal recently, however, and he’s also a friend of Dole’s. Dole has worked on his campaigns in the past.
“As I’ve made clear, I’ve never been a fan of deals like this,” Pepper said. “But the precinct executives have now spoken, and it’s time to move forward.”
Pepper declined comment on the specific question of how he would have voted on the proposal if he’d been able.
One person who didn’t decline comment was Cincinnati City Councilman David Crowley, who’s also a precinct executive. Although Crowley is a friend of Portune’s, he voted to endorse Dole, saying it’s important that voters have a choice.
“In some ways, it’s almost insulting to Todd to say he couldn’t beat (Winkler),” Crowley said.
For his part, Dole was disappointed he didn’t receive the endorsement but promised to continue a vigorous campaign.
“I wasn’t totally surprised. I know Chairman Burke has a lot of support,” Dole said. “Basically, they’re protecting Todd and the majority on the commission.”
Noting that most experts predict a record-setting Democratic turnout for the November election, Dole added, “I think they’re running scared for some reason, and they shouldn’t be. They should be riding the wave.” ©
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2008.