Well before the Mahoning County Democratic Party holds its annual reorganization meeting in either May or June; and more than a month
      before the party’s endorsement meeting that
      will be held Feb. 22 at St. Luke Church in
      Boardman, a wide range of Mahoning County public officials have endorsed current Party Chair, David Betras, of 1491 Barbie Dr.,
      for re-election.
      Congressman Tim Ryan, State Rep. Bob Hagan, Mahoning County Commissioner Dave Ditzler, Youngstown Mayor John McNally, Youngstown Clerk of Courts Sarah Brown Clark, and other Democratic elected officials have sent an open letter to members of the Mahoning County Democratic Party Central and Executive Committees asking that they join them in voting for David Betras’ reelection as Chair of the local Dem party.
      State Rep. Bob Hagan and Mahoning County Commissioner, David Ditzler, have organized an endorsement of Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair David Betras effort because, “David has, by any measure, served with distinction since first being elected chair in 2009 and therefore deserves our unwavering and enthusiastic backing, and...because we believe his skill, knowledge, commitment and energy are indispensable assets that will help Democratic candidates at all levels of government achieve victory in 2014 and beyond.”
      “We all appreciate the hard work David has done to revitalize and strengthen the [Dem]party,” Rep. Hagan said. “We also recognize that we need him at the helm as we face critical elections in 2014 and 2016. That’s why we’re prepared to work hard for his re-election as chair.”
      The complete text of the letter follows:
      An open letter to the members of the
      Mahoning County Democratic Party
      Central and Executive Committees
      We hope this letter finds you well and that you and the members of your family had a joyous and peaceful holiday season.
      We are writing to you to announce our support for Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair David Betras and to ask you to join us in voting for his reelection later this year. We’re taking the unprecedented step of issuing this joint endorsement for two reasons:
      First, because David has, by any measure, served with distinction since first being elected chair in 2009 and therefore deserves our unwavering and enthusiastic backing, and, second because we believe his skill, knowledge, commitment and energy are indispensable assets that will help Democratic candidates at all levels of government achieve victory in 2014 and beyond.
      We want to make it clear that our confidence in and support for David isn’t based on personal loyalty or friendship. It is based solely on our respect and appreciation for all he has achieved during his tenure as our chair. His decision to re-institute primary endorsements via an open, fair, and impartial process has revitalized and reinvigorated the MCDP. His successful fundraising efforts have ensured that our party and its candidates have the financial resources needed to win difficult elections. His belief in and dedication to grassroots activism have resulted in increased voter participation and larger Democratic pluralities. And his willingness to take on difficult and controversial issues, including the fight to protect worker and human rights, has made our party more relevant and influential than ever before.
      His leadership has been acknowledged by the White House, the Democratic National Committee, whose leader, congress person Debbie Wasserman Schultz refers to David as the “best county chair in the country,” and the [state dem party) that named him Large County Chair of the Year in both 2010 and 2012 and Ohio Democrat of the Year in 2011.
      Just as importantly, each of us knows that we can count on David to do the right thing for our Party and our community. Yes, some of us have had very public disagreements with him over the years, but at the end of the day we recognize that although he is sometimes brash, he is forthright, honest, and acts with the utmost integrity. As officeholders and citizens we cannot ask for more.
      For all the reasons we have stated and because we believe he will be best able to guide the MCDP in the coming years, we ask you to join us in supporting David’s re-election as our chair.
      Sincerely---Cong. Tim Ryan, State Sen. Joe Schiavoni: State Rep. Ron Gerberry; State Rep. Bob Hagan, Mahoning County Commissioners David Ditzler, Anthony Traficanti and Carol Rimedio-Righetti; Prosecutor Paul Gains, County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti, Sheriff Jerry Greene, County Coroner Dr. David Kennedy, Country Recorder, Nora Lynn Palermo, County Auditor Michael Sciotino, County Treasurer Dan Yemma, Youngstown Mayor John McNally, Sarah Brown Clark, Youngstown Clerk of Courts, Jamael Tito Brown, former president of Youngstown City Council; and Joyce Kale Pesta, 3rd central committee person.