City workers endorse 7 Dems, 2 Charterites

In any other city, the Democrats would likely have a lock on endorsements from the largest union of city employees.

But the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Ohio Council 8 has endorsed seven Democrats and two Charterites for election to City Council. The union represents about 2,400 city employees, about 40 percent of the city's workforce.

The Democrats are Jeff Berding, Eve Bolton, Laketa Cole, John Cranley, David Crowley, Samantha Herd and Damon Lynch III. Charterites are Christopher Smitherman and Jim Tarbell.

(For those keeping track, Cecil Thomas and Wendell P. Young -- two former city employees -- are the Democrats not getting the AFSCME endorsement. Both were police officers, but Young went on to work as an employee relations manager.)

AFSCME executive director Robert Turner said the union's political action committee would interview the candidates for mayor next week -- and would likely break its neutrality in the mayoral contest between two Democrats, Mark L. Mallory and David Pepper.