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Butler County Dems name new leader

IBEW Local 648 business manager Frank Cloud takes reins of divided party.

Frank Cloud, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 648, was named the party chairman Thursday, Nov. 19, by the party’s executive committee.

Tiffany Latta/Staff photo Frank Cloud, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 648, was named the party chairman Thursday, Nov. 19, by the party’s executive committee.

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By Tiffany Y. Latta and Josh Sweigert
Staff Writers Updated 8:58 AM Friday, November 20, 2009

LIBERTY TWP. — A new leader has taken the reins of the Butler County Democratic Party.

Frank Cloud, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 648, was named the party chairman Thursday, Nov. 19, by the party’s executive committee.

The roughly 140-member party leadership met at the IBEW union hall in Liberty Twp. and elected the new chairman in a landslide vote of 68-14 with one abstention.

“I’m very humbled,’’ Cloud said after defeating Monroe attorney Brian Harrison. “I look forward to getting the different committees set up, getting more people involved ...and getting everyone pulling in the same direction.”

Cloud, 51, of Fairfield will replace Matt Von Stein who resigned earlier this month.

Von Stein could not immediately be reached for comment, but party officials say he resigned to focus on his studies after receiving a scholarship from Xavier University. He took over party leadership last year after former chairman Ron Wardrup was arrested on drunk driving charges.

In addition to leading the party, the chairman traditionally takes a paid post on the county Board of Elections.

Far from mounting a united challenge against a county commission seat seen as vulnerable, the Butler County Democratic Party has broken out into a struggle for control of the party.

After the election, Harrison, 40, vowed to remain active within the party as he has been since 1996.

“I’ve always have been involved and always will be,’’ Harrison said. “I’m just glad so many people came out and participated.’’

Central Committee Chairman John Holcomb said the party has been divided.

“It’s the greatest degree of factionalism that I have ever seen in the Butler County Democratic Party,” he said. “I have to remain optimistic the new party chair is going to be able to bridge these divides.”

Party leaders fear factionalism is particularly detrimental this year. Races coming up next year include a county commission race where the incumbent is under an Ohio Ethics Commission investigation and the GOP appears primed for a costly primary.

Republicans control all countywide offices except for one juvenile judge, Kathleen Dobrozsi Romans of Middletown, who was re-elected in a nonpartisan race after being appointed last year by the governor.

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Why would anyone think that Brian Harrison is anti-labor? His efforts have been to get labor more involved in Democratic politics, so these statements make no sense. Democrats have the biggest tent of all. Brian Harrison is a true blue Democrat. He has been donating his time toward Democratic progress for years now -- for everyone. He just wants to see Democrats elected in Butler Co., something we did successfully in 2009 with volunteers outside of the local party. We need more Brians.

bunkyhead
11:32 AM, 11/22/2009

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TOO, bad its never good to be under the thumb of the union.... so sad...

CA
3:19 AM, 11/22/2009

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LABOR IS DECLARING WAR ON THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS AND THE PACS. Are these so called Progressive Democrats and PAC members nuts???? They are quoted in one of their emails (that was forwarded to me) that the Democratic Party has too much influence from Labor. Do they have any idea where the Party and a lot of it's candidates would be without Labor's generous contributions? Certainly not in office. NOW they take on one of our own Frank Cloud and think we are going to stand by silent? Stay tuned.

UNION REPRESENTATIVE
8:04 PM, 11/21/2009

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Time to kiss the Democrats goodbye. The DSA should drop its allegiance to the Dems and run its own slate of candidates.

robert
4:38 PM, 11/21/2009

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I am ashamed to say that I have attended several of the Pac's and Progressive Democrats meetings. I am on their list serve where I receive all their emails. They are full of hate and spread nasty very negative things about real members in the Democrat Party. I quit going to anything they have.

Former Progressive Member
3:49 PM, 11/21/2009

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