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Summit GOP still divided after vote

Arshinkoff's victory as chairman unlikely to stop party infighting

By Stephanie Warsmith
and Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writers

Published on Friday, May 02, 2008

As Alex Arshinkoff walked out of Tangier restaurant late Wednesday night, he was all smiles.

He shook hands. Thanked supporters. And invited friends out for pizza at Luigi's.

The influential Summit County GOP chairman — who has raised millions for federal and state Republican candidates — had reason to celebrate.

He had just fended off a challenge from a disgruntled group of Republicans who wanted to oust him from the leadership post he has held for nearly three decades.

After months of debate and personal attacks from both sides, Arshinkoff scored a decisive victory at the party's organizational meeting Wednesday night, winning the central committee chair position by more than a 2-to-1 ratio and ensuring his continued control of the party.

But just as clear as the outcome was what the vote indicated — the party is divided heading into the home stretch of a major local election year. Almost a third of precinct committee members voted against Arshinkoff, signaling significant unrest among the party faithful.

The splinter group — the New Summit County Republicans — had harped on Arshinkoff as a bully who mismanages party finances and is ineffective in getting Republicans elected to local offices. The message sunk in with many.

With Arshinkoff standing on the dais directing the meeting, a woman in the back snidely grumbled ''Sieg heil! Sieg heil!'' And when state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, who lead the coup attempt, told the audience of about 500 people that the vote results scream for change, a few shouted ''Sit down!'' ''Get out!'' and ''Boo!''

The question now is how the party responds to the ongoing infighting that isn't likely to subside. Arshinkoff is known for retaliating against his enemies. And Coughlin and his comrades pledged to continue the battle.

''In the short run, he won the battle,'' said Abe Zaidan, a former Akron Beacon Journal political columnist, Washington Post correspondent and co-author of Portraits of Power: Ohio and National Politics, 1964-2004. ''In the long run, it'll be costly for him. I'm not trying to defend the other side. I just think there has been enough concern shown within the party to have 115 votes against him and I don't think they are going to go away.''

From zero to 100

Coughlin, who started the campaign against Arshinkoff last summer, said his group — the New Summit County Republicans — started with no members on the central committee and now have more than 100.

''We're going to take this and build on it for the next round,'' he said, adding that 50 people have volunteered to run for the central committee in two years who didn't vie for a seat this time.

Recruitment for the committee next time will begin sooner, Coughlin said.

Arshinkoff, still coming down from his victory, was frustrated to hear that the effort against him would continue. He said they gave him only ''a half-an-hour honeymoon.''

''I think we all should unite in support of our candidates,'' he said, referring to the more than 30 Summit County candidates on the ballot in November. ''That should be our mission.''

Arshinkoff's opponents are contemplating legal action. They question whether he was able, under state law, to run for chairman of the party's central committee when he wasn't an elected member of the committee. (Arshinkoff's attorney claims this was permissible.)

The New Summit County Republicans also think some of the bylaws approved by the committee may be unconstitutional. One rule would prohibit anyone who works in the same law firm as the chairman of the Summit County Democratic Party from being chairman of the GOP's central or executive committees. The rule is aimed at Pete Kostoff and other lawyers involved in the anti-Arshinkoff movement who practice with Summit County Democratic Chairman Wayne Jones at Roetzel & Andress.

''We can't operate under defective bylaws,'' Cuyahoga Falls council member Carol Klinger said.

Arshinkoff pledged during the central committee meeting to appoint three people from each side to review the rules and recommend any changes or amendments. This committee is supposed to review the bylaws by Oct. 15 and report back to the central committee.


Video

Taking stock

Despite the outcome, Arshinkoff's opponents think their efforts haven't been in vain.

''I feel this has been a very, very positive thing for the party,'' said Akron attorney Don Varian, who ran against Arshinkoff for central committee chairman. ''It has brought new openness and awareness of the party, its finances and how it's run.''

Varian, Klinger and Coughlin all said the group will work to help the local candidates on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Arshinkoff suggested several new rules for the party that respond to criticisms made by his opponents. These include an annual audit of the party's finances that will be posted on the party's Web site, and a requirement that the central and executive committee chairmen hold annual, regional meetings with central committee members.

Arshinkoff discounted the speculation about whether he will go after any of his opponents. ''There's nothing I can do,'' he said.

''I'm not even on the board of elections,'' he added, referring to the post he was kicked out of in February by the secretary of state.

Coughlin, for one, said he's not worried about any retribution. Speculation is rampant about his next move after he is term-limited from the Senate in 2010. One rumor had him challenging Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart, a staunch Arshinkoff supporter who narrowly lost his central committee seat to Coughlin.

''People have got some serious imaginations,'' Coughlin said, laughing. ''Let them keep guessing.''

Coughlin said he is still evaluating opportunities in the public and private sector and will make a decision later this year. He still wants to run for governor, but isn't sure 2010 will be the right time.

Still, in terms of the Falls post, Coughlin said he would ''never shut the door on something like that.''

''I have serious concerns about the direction Cuyahoga Falls is going and where it's headed,'' he said, though he added. ''It's not something I think about very much.''

 

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.

 

As Alex Arshinkoff walked out of Tangier restaurant late Wednesday night, he was all smiles.

Get the full article here.


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