Lucas County Dem committee to focus on McNamara, Craig
1/17/2013The Lucas County Democratic Party executive committee didn't take steps today that could lead to sanctions against Toledo Council President Joe McNamara and Councilman Mike Craig, and instead decided to have a committee focus on the two party members.
Party Chairman Ron Rothenbuhler said the executive committee authorized him to put together a committee to review the actions of Mr. McNamara and Mr. Craig in refusing to vote for fellow Democrat Shaun Enright to fill a vacancy on city council earlier this month.
Party bylaws require executive committee members to support the party's candidates. Mr. Enright, 33, of East Toledo, is an electricians' union organizer and was backed by area construction trade unions who wanted their own representative on the 12-member city council. Mr. Enright will run in elections this fall to try to win the seat for a full four-year term.
Mr. McNamara and Mr. Craig said they supported another candidate, former Mayor Jack Ford, who is African-American, in order to fulfill another requirement of the party's bylaws: to fight against social injustice.
Mr. Rothenbuhler said the six-member committee will be expected to bring a recommendation to the executive committee meeting on Feb. 21.