Ripples following the abrupt resignation of Akron’s longest serving mayor were felt again last week as politicians, Democrats in particular, craft the new normal in Summit County.
On Friday, Akron attorney Bradford Carlton withdrew his name from the Summit County clerk of courts race. Democratic leadership had gathered the night before to support his challenger, county council member Sandra Kurt, with an appointment to fill in as clerk of courts, a position vacated Jan. 1 when Dan Horrigan was sworn in as mayor.
Though Carlton had intended to seek the temporary appointment, Kurt was the only nominee.
“I think many of us were surprised,” said Jeff Fusco, chair of the Summit County Democratic Party. Fusco retook the party’s top position and his city council seat this month after filling in as mayor through December.
Carlton, the executive vice president of the Summit County Progressive Democrats, wouldn’t disclose any conversations with party leadership prior to giving Kurt, who is second chair behind Fusco and a founding member of the Progressive Democrats, a free ride in the primary race for clerk of courts.
“We were not involved,” Fusco said Friday. “He did mention to me yesterday, last night, the suggestion that he was going to withdraw. I said he was showing some class.”
Twice out
With Carlton, 29, previously withdrawing from an Akron council race, Friday marked the second time he has bowed out early.
“While I believe that I have put on a strong showing by reaching out to all of the Democratic Precinct Captains, various faith organizations and numerous labor groups, it is clear to me that the Party has lined up behind Sandra Kurt,” Bradford said in a statement.
In an interview, he elaborated on twice removing himself from Democratic primary races.
“The Akron ward seat, when I got into that race, that was amid all the chaos going on in city council,” said Carlton, who sought to represent the Ellet area after the tumultuous resignations of mayors Don Plusquellic and Garry Moneypenny created openings on the city council. “I figured I’m a highly qualified individual. I don’t particularly care about the politics. That’s pretty much the same reason I got into the clerk of courts race.”
Carlton, who runs a Cuyahoga Falls law firm with his wife, ran on experience, having worked as deputy clerk of courts, a staff attorney for the bailiff and with a Supreme Court committee to standardize and streamline procedures for filing probate court motions.
“I did more or less everything in that office,” Carlton said, now throwing his support to his former challenger, as he did when Danny Gable entered the two-way primary race between Carlton and Bob Hoch for the city council seat last year.
“Each time I’ve jumped into these races it’s been last minute on a gut feeling that I can make a difference,” Carlton said. Next time, he added, will be “more well-planned.”
Avoiding blue blood
With Carlton out, Kurt will bypass a primary challenge for county clerk of courts and face Republican Ann Marie O’Brien, a former president of the Akron Bar Association, in November.
Filling in as clerk of courts in the interim gives Kurt an advantage and opens up her at-large spot on county council, which party leadership will fill in the next month at a meeting similar to the one held Thursday at North High School.
Kurt has explained that Elizabeth Walters, political director of the Ohio Democratic Party, is a frontrunner for her replacement. Walters, a candidate for state Senate, may drop out of that race, giving another free ride in the March 15 primary to her challenger, former Rep. Vernon Sykes, who like Kurt carries wide name recognition.
These primary free rides are far more common in the Republican Party.
Even if Walters abandons her primary bid for state Senate, Democrats still have six races with dueling candidates in March compared to one for the Republicans.
Democrats are fielding multiple candidates for two county council seats, term-limited Akron Sen. Tom Sawyer’s seat and three congressional or statehouse races. The 14th Congressional District, which includes the northeast corner of Summit County and Ohio, features the only county, state or federal race in Summit County with more than one Republican: incumbent Rep. Dave Joyce and Matt Lynch, formerly appointed to the Ohio House and a favorite of the tea party. Also vying for the U.S. House seat are Democrats Alfred Mackey and Michael Wager.
With nearly twice as many voters registered as Democrats. The GOP is fielding no candidates in races for county engineer or sheriff. Nor will a Republican appear on the ballot for the county council seat covering Barberton, Norton and several GOP-dominated precincts in New Franklin and Clinton.
Republicans did file as write-in candidates for three otherwise uncontested races. But write-ins, which rely on voters to recall — not read — a candidate’s name, rarely win. Two Democrats filed as write-ins, including David Worhatch, a Democratic challenger to Gloria Rodgers, the only Republican on county council.
Fusco said the Summit County Democratic Party prefers not to see blue blood spilled in primaries, instead saving campaign dollars for general elections races against Republicans, who are even more likely to avoid same-party showdowns in the primary.
“We were having that conversation yesterday. How is it that Republicans don’t have primaries?” Fusco said. “That’s the way it’s always seemed to be in Summit County.”
Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @DougLivingstonABJ.