Pro-gun Democrat elected to head party in Ohio

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Ohio Democratic Party elected House Minority Leader Chris Redfern as its chairman Monday night.

Redfern is a former endorsee of this political action committee who voted for Ohio's concealed carry law.

From the story:

The 120 delegates were divided in their support of Redfern and Dennis Lieberman, the longtime chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. In the end, Redfern got 88 votes, Lieberman, 31. Steve Reece, a Cincinnati businessman, got a single vote.

"The work begins tonight," said Redfern, 41, of Catawba Island.

The story says that supporters of both candidates burned up the phone lines over the weekend, and the behind-the-scenes struggles have "badly splintered the party".

Redfern, who has been criticized because he will not give up his House seat, said he would relinquish his leadership position.

Both he and Lieberman pledged to work hard to unify the party.

Again, from the story:

...The 800-pound gorilla in the room Monday, though he wasn't present, was U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland.

Strickland, the party's presumptive nominee for governor, endorsed Redfern soon after former Chairman Denny White's resignation.

Many Democrats feared that a Redfern loss would severely hamper Strickland's candidacy at a time that appears to be a golden opportunity for the party to take back the governor's office for the first time in two decades.

Like Redfern, Ted Strickland is a pro-gun Democrat.

So can a 2004 endorsee of this political action committee and a pro-gun Federal legislator-turned gubernatorial candidate change the attitude of the Ohio Democratic Party toward our gun rights? It's looking more and more like Ohioans may get the opportunity to find out!