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By Katie Byard
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 01:00 a.m. EDT, Aug 17, 2007
State Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, has launched a campaign to unseat longtime Summit County Republican Party chairman Alex Arshinkoff.
Coughlin said in a no-holds barred, three-page letter dated Aug. 14 and released today that the party ''has slipped into a pathetic state'' even though the ''demographics of Summit County are more favorable than ever.''
Arshinkoff this morning declined to comment on the letter, saying ‘‘it's a free country,’’ anyone can write a letter.
Arshinkoff supporter Don Robart, Republican mayor of Cuyahoga Falls, dismissed Coughlin's campaign, saying, ‘‘He's nuttier than a fruitcake.’’
Robart said Coughlin will ‘‘get a little support. He's a state senator. It's not like he's a councilman of some obscure little burg. But you're going to find that he has very few friends . . . he's burned everybody off.’’
In his letter Coughlin said, ''Key countywide and judicial offices and the majority of the Statehouse delegation have been lost.''
Coughlin said the ''list of concerns is long . . .The bottom line is that our party needs (to) be focused on winning elections again.''
Robart said Coughlin has been a malcontent for some time, not showing up at party meetings and fundraisers.
He said Coughlin's missive is ‘‘problematic’’ in its suggestion that there is a lack of financial support for candidates.
Robart said, ‘‘Last year alone, the party put up almost a million dollars’’ for candidates. ‘‘That's a tribute to Alex to be able to raise that much money.’’
Coughlin said, ''The goal of this effort is to gain a majority of the Summit County Central Committee in the 2008 primary election and to elect a new party chairman.''
The roughly 470 members of the Central Committee, elected from their respective precincts, have 60 days after the March primary to elect a party chair, he said.
‘‘I have no doubt we're going to have enough people to do this,’’ he said. ‘‘People are contacting us every day to see how they can help.’’
Coughlin said he has the support of various office holders. He said he didn't want to name them now because some are running for re-election and ‘‘prefer not to attract the ire of Alex before this (November) election.’’
In his letter, Coughlin echoes other Arshinkoff critics, saying Arshinkoff is vengeful. Coughlin says Arshinkoff is ‘‘too paranoid, too vindictive’’ to continue leading the party.
Coughlin said Arshinkoff has intimidated Summit County officeholders such as Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court Judge Kim Hoover and Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Spicer.
Spicer said this morning that in 2002 Arshinkoff ran his niece, Betty Konen, against her.
Arshinkoff was unhappy with Spicer's oversight of Oriana House Inc., which operates community-based corrections facilities. He claimed that Oriana House misused millions of public dollars.
Spicer said she was ‘‘not pleased in 2002.’’ The bid by Konen ‘‘cost me a great deal of time, effort and money and money from other persons who strongly supported me.’’
She said that while she is a registered Republican, ‘‘I've disassociated myself from the Arshinkoff party.’’
However, she said she does not plan to get involved in Coughlin's effort. ‘‘I have my hands full handling my judisicial position . . . I'm not being politically active . . . I will maintain my judicial independence until my retirement Jan. 3, 2009.’’
The letter includes a list of results of key state and county races, titled ‘‘Alex Arshinkoff's Losing Streak.’’
State Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, has launched a campaign to unseat longtime Summit County Republican Party chairman Alex Arshinkoff.
Coughlin said in a no-holds barred, three-page letter dated Aug. 14 and released today that the party ''has slipped into a pathetic state'' even though the ''demographics of Summit County are more favorable than ever.''
Arshinkoff this morning declined to comment on the letter, saying ‘‘it's a free country,’’ anyone can write a letter.
Arshinkoff supporter Don Robart, Republican mayor of Cuyahoga Falls, dismissed Coughlin's campaign, saying, ‘‘He's nuttier than a fruitcake.’’
Robart said Coughlin will ‘‘get a little support. He's a state senator. It's not like he's a councilman of some obscure little burg. But you're going to find that he has very few friends . . . he's burned everybody off.’’
In his letter Coughlin said, ''Key countywide and judicial offices and the majority of the Statehouse delegation have been lost.''
Coughlin said the ''list of concerns is long . . .The bottom line is that our party needs (to) be focused on winning elections again.''
Robart said Coughlin has been a malcontent for some time, not showing up at party meetings and fundraisers.
He said Coughlin's missive is ‘‘problematic’’ in its suggestion that there is a lack of financial support for candidates.
Robart said, ‘‘Last year alone, the party put up almost a million dollars’’ for candidates. ‘‘That's a tribute to Alex to be able to raise that much money.’’
Coughlin said, ''The goal of this effort is to gain a majority of the Summit County Central Committee in the 2008 primary election and to elect a new party chairman.''
The roughly 470 members of the Central Committee, elected from their respective precincts, have 60 days after the March primary to elect a party chair, he said.
‘‘I have no doubt we're going to have enough people to do this,’’ he said. ‘‘People are contacting us every day to see how they can help.’’
Coughlin said he has the support of various office holders. He said he didn't want to name them now because some are running for re-election and ‘‘prefer not to attract the ire of Alex before this (November) election.’’
In his letter, Coughlin echoes other Arshinkoff critics, saying Arshinkoff is vengeful. Coughlin says Arshinkoff is ‘‘too paranoid, too vindictive’’ to continue leading the party.
Coughlin said Arshinkoff has intimidated Summit County officeholders such as Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court Judge Kim Hoover and Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Spicer.
Spicer said this morning that in 2002 Arshinkoff ran his niece, Betty Konen, against her.
Arshinkoff was unhappy with Spicer's oversight of Oriana House Inc., which operates community-based corrections facilities. He claimed that Oriana House misused millions of public dollars.
Spicer said she was ‘‘not pleased in 2002.’’ The bid by Konen ‘‘cost me a great deal of time, effort and money and money from other persons who strongly supported me.’’
She said that while she is a registered Republican, ‘‘I've disassociated myself from the Arshinkoff party.’’
However, she said she does not plan to get involved in Coughlin's effort. ‘‘I have my hands full handling my judisicial position . . . I'm not being politically active . . . I will maintain my judicial independence until my retirement Jan. 3, 2009.’’
The letter includes a list of results of key state and county races, titled ‘‘Alex Arshinkoff's Losing Streak.’’
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