Prosecutor 'ducks' primary challenge from party chair
By Jim Phillips
March 6, 2008
In working to unseat incumbent Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren, challenger Susan Gwinn suggested more than once that Warren lacks dignity and clowns shamelessly for the media.
That charge didn’t seem to bother the victorious Warren very much on Tuesday night, as he gleefully celebrated his win in the Democratic primary by blasting a CD of “Rubber Ducky,” as sung by Ernie of “Sesame Street” fame.
Playing the tune was a not-so-subtle whack at Gwinn, whose attack ads during the campaign included a flier suggesting ironically that Warren didn’t have all his “ducks in a row,” and sporting a picture of a bunch of rubber ducks.
“My opponent can spend all of her fortune on negative ads and untruthful statements,” Warren declared to the media around 10:30 p.m., after the final unofficial vote counts gave him a solid 60/40 win over Gwinn in the primary. “I was targeted by my opponent, and the only thing I can tell you is, I’m still standing.”
This was the cue for the CD player to blare out “I’m Still Standing,” by Elton John.
Because no Republican has filed to run for county prosecutor in November, in Tuesday’s primary Warren essentially won re-election to his third term in office.
Gwinn had been in uptown Athens during the early returns, but left the scene long before the final vote count was reported, when it had become obvious that her bid to unseat Warren was going to fail.
A call to her home Wednesday morning was greeted with the message that she was not available for comment. Her law office did direct an inquiry to Gwinn’s campaign Web site, which contained a brief post-election message to her supporters.
“Although (the primary outcome) was not the result that I wanted, it was the choice of the voters and that is important to always remember,” the statement says. “I congratulate Mr. Warren on his win and wish him well during his next four years.”
The Web site also insists that “the Democratic Party in Athens is strong, and this fall I am certain we will celebrate many victories.”
This statement overlooks the divisions that arose within the county party around the attempt by Gwinn, who chairs the party, to unseat a two-term incumbent Democrat. Warren called foul over his own party chair trying to knock him off, and this view was seconded by state Rep. Chris Redfern, who chairs the Ohio Democratic Party.
Gwinn and her backers insisted that her dual role was a non-issue, and that it was perfectly legitimate for a party chair to run against an incumbent and then serve as county prosecutor.
While the party hasn’t undergone any major public split over the race, in private comments party faithful have suggested that the episode hasn’t been good for Democratic unity in the county.
Any split clearly broke Warren’s way Tuesday, however, as he buried Gwinn by close to 2,500 votes, with an unofficial tally of 7,459 to 5,006.
Countywide, Warren carried 51 of 69 precincts, with Gwinn’s strongest performance coming in student-heavy Athens city precincts and a handful of outlying precincts in Glouster and Trimble and Troy townships.
Inside Athens, Gwinn won nine of 23 precincts, all of them among the most student-heavy in the city. These included 1-1 (Mound-Lancaster streets), 1-5 (Ohio University’s West Green), 1-6 (College Green), 2-1 (South Green), 2-2 (Ping Center-Peden Stadium area), 3-1 (uptown County courthouse-city parking garage blocks), 3-2 (North Court area between Carpenter and Washington), 3-3 (Mill Street area), 3-4 (Franklin Street area), and 4-5 (North McKinley-Riverpark Towers area).
For the most part, however, these precincts had moderate to low turnout, with the highest numerical showing in 4-5, which cast 150 votes total for the two candidates. Compare this to precincts won by Warren such as 2-4 (far south side, Pomeroy Road area, 312 votes) or 3-6 (Highland Park-Columbus Road area, 257 votes).
Outside the city, Warren dominated the vote, winning 40 of 46 precincts including the entire city of Nelsonville. Gwinn’s only victories outside Athens came in the two Glouster precincts 3 and 4, Trimble Village, Coolville, and Troy East and West.
Warren hinted strongly after his win Tuesday night that at least some of his margin of victory may have come from county Republicans who jumped ship in the primary just to help keep him in office.
“I truly appreciate all the help we got from first-time Democrat voters,” he said wryly.
County GOP chair Pete Couladis confirmed Wednesday that at least a few members of his party have told him they voted Democratic in the primary specifically to support Warren against Gwinn.
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jackscrow commented, on March 6, 2008 at 9:46 a.m.:
Cross-over here.
You're welcome, C-Dave.
Remember the deal.
Next time I get picked up for OVI, you make that call we talked about.
They'll lose that video evidence, you don't crush my truck (what a stupid billboard) and everybody's even.
Woo-hoo. Back to normal. The witch is on life-support.
