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Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
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Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
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Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
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College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
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Browns vs. Lions live …
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Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
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Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
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Robiskie, Harrison inactive
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Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
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Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
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OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
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Four area football teams play tonight
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Will Health Care Reform Pass?
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Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
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Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
A Random Rant on Testing
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 05:48 p.m. EST, Nov 07, 2009
Few may remember the three Republicans who ran for Akron mayor in 2003.
One was a political neophyte named Katarina Cook, who did little more than throw her name on the ballot. She freely admitted she had no plans for the city nor for raising campaign money.
Cook's efforts produced a grand total of 210 votes.
But her plan was working.
Last year, Cook ran again, this time taking a thumping countywide in the race for juvenile court judge.
Tuesday, her strategy paid off as Cook defeated a Democratic incumbent — in a predominantly Democratic district — to win a seat on Akron Municipal Court.
She was one of a handful of Republicans around Summit County — from Stow to Green and points in between — to take home an election night win.
''It was a pretty good night,'' said county Republican Chairman Alex Arshinkoff. ''In fact, it was our best night in many years.''
The highlights of election night were the races for Akron Municipal Court, where Cook and Tom McCarty each defeated incumbents — judges Orlando Williams and Stephen Fallis, both appointed this year by Gov. Ted Strickland.
Strickland's only successful appointee was Judge Jerry Larson, who benefited from a three-way race that split the vote. Larson, who insiders say spent well over $100,000 on his campaign, failed to gain more than 50 percent of the vote.
County Republicans are patting themselves on the back for their handling of the municipal court races, as well as the neighboring county courthouse.
Two of the municipal court openings Strickland filled this year were created by countywide wins for common pleas court by Republican judges Alison McCarty and Lynne Callahan.
With the appointments, Democrats had a 5-1 majority in municipal court. The power lasted less than 11 months.
This season, Republicans played what some call the old ''name game,'' running Tom McCarty, Cook and Jason Adams for the three municipal court seats.
The McCarty and Cook names have been ballot-tested in Summit County. Alison McCarty is now a common pleas judge. Deborah Cook is now a federal appellate court judge. Both candidates suffered losses in their early political careers.
Jason Adams ran for judge with little money. But his campaign signs used the same color scheme as Judge John Adams, a former common pleas judge who now sits on U.S. District Court. The two are not related.
Tom McCarty is married to Alison McCarty. Katarina Cook is a sister-in-law to Judge Deborah Cook.
Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Jones said name recognition is vital, especially in judicial races, where candidates are governed by stricter campaign laws.
Candidate names become trademarks or brand names, packaged neatly and delivered to voters. They come sometimes through early losses followed by wins and scandal-free careers.
Jones said brand names must be groomed and maintained. It's the same, whether you're selling judges or cornflakes to the public.
''The name, if it's a good impression, [voters] will probably continue to like them. It doesn't really matter what the first name is, especially with judges,'' he said.
Jones pointed to the Democratic losses, many of which came in nonpartisan races where voters didn't know whether a D or an R followed the candidate's name.
Case in point: Shawn Michael McNulty, who bears a familiar name in southern Summit County, lost to Republican Christine Croce for Barberton Municipal Court clerk in a nonpartisan race. He is the son of retired Barberton Judge Michael McNulty.
In a nonpartisan race, ballots do not list a candidate's affiliation. That is left to campaigners.
''I think we have to do a better job of letting people know who the Democrats are,'' Jones said.
Stephen Brooks, assistant director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said brand names of candidates are built over the years, sometimes by candidates who don't intend to win races, but rather to develop name recognition.
He said typical voters rarely remember who won or lost a judicial campaign. But they will, after time, begin to feel comfortable with a candidate's name, just as they did with Katarina Cook.
At the same time, both Summit County parties want to weed out those who are not loyal, Brooks said. This is done, he said, by candidates willing to go on the ballot, knowing they will lose, sometimes badly.
''A lot of these people run and lose a number of times, as much to demonstrate to the party that they are good soldiers as the name recognition piece,'' Brooks said.
Arshinkoff said the party's three judicial candidates this fall were more than names to trick voters. They are candidates with brand names, built around principles and reputations of integrity and toughness.
''It's selling confidence, it's familiarity, it's a brand,'' he said. ''You've got to get people comfortable with the names.''
Arshinkoff said many of the party's better candidates took their lumps early on. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor is the party's prime example.
She lost the first four campaigns she entered before winning a county race for judge. She went on to become county prosecutor and lieutenant governor and now appears poised to become chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.
O'Connor's branding is complete.
Katarina Cook said she never expected to win her first mayoral primary, nor did she expect to win last year's race against Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio.
Cook, a former magistrate and law clerk, said she's qualified and hardworking. But at the same time, she said, she knows her name carries some weight in local circles.
''You can see that by what happened Tuesday,'' she said.
The Democrats have done the same with the Teodosio name. It was first branded in the 1970s by Al Teodosio, who chaired county Democrats for years.
Daughter-in-law Linda Tucci Teodosio worked her way from Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court judge [she lost her first campaign for the seat] to the county's juvenile court. Her husband Tom was a longtime county councilman before winning a seat on common pleas court.
In the case of Fallis, insiders from both parties agree on two points: He was probably the better qualified of the two candidates and a ''true gentleman.''
Fallis simply lacked the powerful ballot name of McCarty, who jokingly boasted to friends that he was running on his wife's good name.
One legendary name didn't work Tuesday. It was Judge Williams, who lost his race with Cook. Although unrelated, the Williams moniker in Akron has been cultivated by retired Judge James Williams, his daughter-in-law, Judge Annalisa Stubbs Williams, and his son, Akron Councilman Michael Williams, who snapped up more votes Tuesday than any other council candidate.
''If the Kennedys proved anything, they proved that politics tend to be a family business,'' Arshinkoff said.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Few may remember the three Republicans who ran for Akron mayor in 2003.
One was a political neophyte named Katarina Cook, who did little more than throw her name on the ballot. She freely admitted she had no plans for the city nor for raising campaign money.
Cook's efforts produced a grand total of 210 votes.
But her plan was working.
Last year, Cook ran again, this time taking a thumping countywide in the race for juvenile court judge.
Tuesday, her strategy paid off as Cook defeated a Democratic incumbent — in a predominantly Democratic district — to win a seat on Akron Municipal Court.
She was one of a handful of Republicans around Summit County — from Stow to Green and points in between — to take home an election night win.
''It was a pretty good night,'' said county Republican Chairman Alex Arshinkoff. ''In fact, it was our best night in many years.''
The highlights of election night were the races for Akron Municipal Court, where Cook and Tom McCarty each defeated incumbents — judges Orlando Williams and Stephen Fallis, both appointed this year by Gov. Ted Strickland.
Strickland's only successful appointee was Judge Jerry Larson, who benefited from a three-way race that split the vote. Larson, who insiders say spent well over $100,000 on his campaign, failed to gain more than 50 percent of the vote.
County Republicans are patting themselves on the back for their handling of the municipal court races, as well as the neighboring county courthouse.
Two of the municipal court openings Strickland filled this year were created by countywide wins for common pleas court by Republican judges Alison McCarty and Lynne Callahan.
With the appointments, Democrats had a 5-1 majority in municipal court. The power lasted less than 11 months.
This season, Republicans played what some call the old ''name game,'' running Tom McCarty, Cook and Jason Adams for the three municipal court seats.
The McCarty and Cook names have been ballot-tested in Summit County. Alison McCarty is now a common pleas judge. Deborah Cook is now a federal appellate court judge. Both candidates suffered losses in their early political careers.
Jason Adams ran for judge with little money. But his campaign signs used the same color scheme as Judge John Adams, a former common pleas judge who now sits on U.S. District Court. The two are not related.
Tom McCarty is married to Alison McCarty. Katarina Cook is a sister-in-law to Judge Deborah Cook.
Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Jones said name recognition is vital, especially in judicial races, where candidates are governed by stricter campaign laws.
Candidate names become trademarks or brand names, packaged neatly and delivered to voters. They come sometimes through early losses followed by wins and scandal-free careers.
Jones said brand names must be groomed and maintained. It's the same, whether you're selling judges or cornflakes to the public.
''The name, if it's a good impression, [voters] will probably continue to like them. It doesn't really matter what the first name is, especially with judges,'' he said.
Jones pointed to the Democratic losses, many of which came in nonpartisan races where voters didn't know whether a D or an R followed the candidate's name.
Case in point: Shawn Michael McNulty, who bears a familiar name in southern Summit County, lost to Republican Christine Croce for Barberton Municipal Court clerk in a nonpartisan race. He is the son of retired Barberton Judge Michael McNulty.
In a nonpartisan race, ballots do not list a candidate's affiliation. That is left to campaigners.
''I think we have to do a better job of letting people know who the Democrats are,'' Jones said.
Stephen Brooks, assistant director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said brand names of candidates are built over the years, sometimes by candidates who don't intend to win races, but rather to develop name recognition.
He said typical voters rarely remember who won or lost a judicial campaign. But they will, after time, begin to feel comfortable with a candidate's name, just as they did with Katarina Cook.
At the same time, both Summit County parties want to weed out those who are not loyal, Brooks said. This is done, he said, by candidates willing to go on the ballot, knowing they will lose, sometimes badly.
''A lot of these people run and lose a number of times, as much to demonstrate to the party that they are good soldiers as the name recognition piece,'' Brooks said.
Arshinkoff said the party's three judicial candidates this fall were more than names to trick voters. They are candidates with brand names, built around principles and reputations of integrity and toughness.
''It's selling confidence, it's familiarity, it's a brand,'' he said. ''You've got to get people comfortable with the names.''
Arshinkoff said many of the party's better candidates took their lumps early on. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor is the party's prime example.
She lost the first four campaigns she entered before winning a county race for judge. She went on to become county prosecutor and lieutenant governor and now appears poised to become chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.
O'Connor's branding is complete.
Katarina Cook said she never expected to win her first mayoral primary, nor did she expect to win last year's race against Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio.
Cook, a former magistrate and law clerk, said she's qualified and hardworking. But at the same time, she said, she knows her name carries some weight in local circles.
''You can see that by what happened Tuesday,'' she said.
The Democrats have done the same with the Teodosio name. It was first branded in the 1970s by Al Teodosio, who chaired county Democrats for years.
Daughter-in-law Linda Tucci Teodosio worked her way from Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court judge [she lost her first campaign for the seat] to the county's juvenile court. Her husband Tom was a longtime county councilman before winning a seat on common pleas court.
In the case of Fallis, insiders from both parties agree on two points: He was probably the better qualified of the two candidates and a ''true gentleman.''
Fallis simply lacked the powerful ballot name of McCarty, who jokingly boasted to friends that he was running on his wife's good name.
One legendary name didn't work Tuesday. It was Judge Williams, who lost his race with Cook. Although unrelated, the Williams moniker in Akron has been cultivated by retired Judge James Williams, his daughter-in-law, Judge Annalisa Stubbs Williams, and his son, Akron Councilman Michael Williams, who snapped up more votes Tuesday than any other council candidate.
''If the Kennedys proved anything, they proved that politics tend to be a family business,'' Arshinkoff said.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Richfield, OH
Posted 11:04 PM, 11/07/2009
Fallis is a nice guy, but had no street smarts, and is not a trial lawyer. Tom McCarty is popular and tough.....the cops endorsed him. He was definitely the better choice in this race!
Anti-Politically Correct & Anti-GOP, OH
Posted 07:27 AM, 11/08/2009
Never heard of any of them.
akron, oh
Posted 09:43 AM, 11/08/2009
Katarina Cook ran a shameful campaign. I am embarrassed that she is going to be a judge...
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:00 AM, 11/08/2009
I hope both Steve Fallis and Adam Van Ho come back and are on the ballot again soon.
Both candidates are excellent and well-respected attorneys, and ran clean and aggressive campaigns.
Fallis ran against the McCarty name, and Van Ho ran against a sitting Republican judge in the most Republican part of the county.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:16 AM, 11/08/2009
The cops didn't endorse McCarty...only the Sheriff's union which is REPUBLICAN. Fallis is a trial lawyer and a lawyer's lawyer. He should have won and would have won if he was not up against the McCarty name. Tom McCarty is not popular...his wife is. Does anyone even know what kind of attorney work McCarty did? He certainly didn't advertise it during his campaign. VanHo is also a very committed and strong candidate....he'll do better next time. Too bad about Katarina...she's a nightmare.
Richfield, OH
Posted 10:39 AM, 11/08/2009
Fallis is such a "gentleman".....but if I count right, he had to sign the order to hire Orlando. The voters reject Orlando, and Fallis et al put him right back in the court that he was just "fired" from by the people! And Gerry Larson, he doesn't even get 50 percent of the vote ater spending 100,000 dollars? He shouldn't even be permitted to be there! They should do a run off between the two highest vote-getters in his race and I bet that in round two he would lose!
Richfield, OH
Posted 10:44 AM, 11/08/2009
K Cook pointed out that Orlando had a DUI in 2000 or 2001.....what's shameful about that? It's true! Plus, he had the worst yard signs I've ever seen.....you couldn't even read his name!
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:54 AM, 11/08/2009
Katarina Cook DID Run a Shameful Campaign & Did Not Deserve the Win! Her Campaign Volunteers are Well Known to Slander Every Name They Hold the Smallest Beef Against & They Helped Do That In This Election! I Hope Katarina Knows the REAL Story about the People By Her Side...She Took a Few Out of the Ghetto To Throw Her Name Around In Their Circles!!
Richfield, OH
Posted 11:06 AM, 11/08/2009
Oh and I'm sure Orlando had nothihg to do with the nasty illegal flyer filled with lies about Katarina that was put on every chair at the NAACP luncheon....he's sooooooo ethical!
Bath, OH
Posted 12:30 PM, 11/08/2009
The Summit County court system is as crooked as the Cuyahoga County courts. Why can't the media do an investigative story about ALL of the Summit County courts? Are they afraid of upsetting someone? Or are they simply lazy? Don't make any waves...just keep the status quo. BTW, are there any religious organizations located in Akron tied in with the court system (judges, attorneys, etc.)?
Akron, OH
Posted 01:51 PM, 11/08/2009
Fallis would not sign the order to fire anyone. The fact that he ok'd a hiring after there was an opening does not make him less of a gentleman...of course he wants a democrat in so long as there is an opening. He's not stupid. Good grief, others did the firing and all the dems did the hiring...if it were republicans, there would be no dems left in the court at all. At least the dems aren't that dirty.
akron, oh
Posted 06:12 PM, 11/08/2009
The name game did help Cook and McCarty win, but another factor that hurt Fallis, Williams, and Larsen is that all three come out of the corrupt political machine run by Don Plusquellic. Smart Democrats in Akron realized this and didn't vote for them.
Richfield, OH
Posted 07:13 PM, 11/08/2009
Probably true, Big D. The three judges did everything they could to tell everyone they were the democrats, but it didn't seem to help. Larsen and Fallis are the Don's boys, Orlando really isn't, but the voters didn't seem to like him.
Richfield, OH
Posted 07:15 PM, 11/08/2009
Mr. Akron, stop making excuses for Fallis. When the rubber hit the road, his "principles" left the building and he snuck Orlando in through the back door. The voters said they didn't want him! Let the Mayor or Russ Pry hire him.....no one else with a recent DUI would be hired to hear cases as a magistrate.......he doesn't belong in the court!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:00 PM, 11/08/2009
No excuses...just the facts. There was no sneaking in the back door. Orlando would have been put in with or without Fallis' signature. Point is, if there was no vacancy, Fallis wouldn't have signed the order hiring Orlando. He did NOT fire anyone, nor would he. The vacancy was created by others. Of course he's not going to let the Rep fill it. Recent DUI...ummm...about 9 years ago...but I see your point there.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:03 PM, 11/08/2009
Oh, and by the way Work It Out, as long as we are talking about people not belonging in court, check out McCarty's income tax judgment lien and worker's comp liens. He doesn't even pay his income taxes, what the ?@&$! And we voted him in...good job Akron (sarcasm.)
Richfield, OH
Posted 08:33 PM, 11/08/2009
Point is, if he had not agreed to hire Orlando, the dems wouldn't have created an opening......he could have stopped it all, but chose not to.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:36 PM, 11/08/2009
No excuses Work It Out. Fallis refused to sign the firing orders. Orlando would have been hired with or without Fallis, so get over it. Recent DUI...ummm...9 years ago...but I get your point with that one. However, the McCartys have CURRENT income tax liens, and Tom has a current worker's comp lien. Talk about not belonging on the the Court. Pay your taxes deadbeat. He doesn't belong there either. Why can't we get law abiding, tax paying people on the court. Oh yeah, Fallis was one, but we got rid of him...way to go Akron (sarcasm).
Richfield, OH
Posted 08:38 PM, 11/08/2009
I have nothing against Fallis, I just think he and all the dems should have left the status quo instead doing all this back door stuff after the election. It just kind of smells! As to the liens, I don't know anything about that but I expect they are business-related and either already paid for or for small amounts or else we would have heard about them. How much? Paid or unpaid? Even small liens paid off stay on your record....
Akron, OH
Posted 08:39 PM, 11/08/2009
Sorry about the repeats....it is taking a while for my comments to load, so I thought I had to resend it.
Richfield, OH
Posted 08:50 PM, 11/08/2009
Orlando would not have been hired without Fallis signing unless he (Orlando) signed the order himself - which he could not do - Fallis had to sign, so he did. He played ball.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:08 PM, 11/08/2009
Small, but unpaid income tax liens. Look it up on the summit county clerk of courts website. Why wouldn't they pay their income taxes? He was questioned about it and apparently he's working on them. You weren't informed about the liens because Fallis doesn't play that way. He really is a gentleman, sometimes to his detriment. Oh well, hopefully the judges that were elected will work hard for Akron.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 10:43 PM, 11/08/2009
Wish ABJ would cover the elections before the vote. Oh right they would lose advertising revenue from the candidates.
Posted 11:33 PM, 11/08/2009
Hey how do you feel about multiple voting locations being without ballots for hours at a time....
no ballots for voters not a valid election
Is everyone okay with the ballots being unavailbe for voters?
Posted 11:53 PM, 11/08/2009
if we cant get ballots lets just fight over the next elections
Akron, OH
Posted 06:45 AM, 11/09/2009
You are right Educated One....it was inexcusable....but nobody will do anything about it. It's the ones who were sent away that need to take action....anyone?
akron, oh
Posted 12:13 PM, 11/09/2009
McNulty had Democrat painted all over his signs. It seems that maybe the smarter voters got out and looked at his record on his literature. He boasted completeing his term and all the Drinking establishments he is a member of and then said he was a family man and his dad was a judge. Hardly qualifications for someone who collects urine samples and reports them to the juvie court. so many times in that barberton area people vote as a popularity contest instead of looking at what is being offered. Then they complain and complain on how poor the city is and looks yet they will continue to vote in the same idiots.
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:04 PM, 11/09/2009
Similar ideals that have proven results and that are overwhelmingly accepted by the Citizens of Akron is a far cry from a "corrupt political machine". Judge Larson retained his seat because of years of dedicated service to the community as both an assistant law director and chief assistant prosecutor. As far as Williams and Fallis, they ran very good campaigns but voters can be fickle. This is in no way any reflection on the Mayor or the Democratic Party, it's simply an election. You win some - you lose some.
Posted 06:14 AM, 11/10/2009
To the three people left reading this column, I will simply say McCarty is, like Fallis, a very good man.
However, I did not know about the tax and workers comp liens. If I did, I may have re-thought my vote for McCarty. It is critical for a judge to be above repute.
What it really shows is Arshinkoff's desperation to field any candidate who may win but behind whom he doesn't have to put any money (name game thing). If these liens aren't cleaned up by the next time he or his wife run they will not get my vote again.
As a republican we expect more from our candidates.
