A Party for All, a faction of the Athens County Democratic Party, won 19 of the 44 contested seats in the central committee primary elections yesterday.
A Party for All won a total of 32 seats on the committee, which had 70 open seats. The race for Athens third ward fourth precinct ended in a tie with Mary Diles, endorsed by A Party for All, and Joanne D. Prisley each receiving 13 votes. Provisional ballots had not been counted as of 10:40 p.m. yesterday. Diles' race was the only one that was tied at any point during the night.
We need a change in leadership
said Diles, a first-time candidate at A Party for All's Election Results party at Jackie O's Pub and Brewery last night.
Jules David Sturbois, who ran for the Canaan South seat, also said the party needed change and leadership. Sturbois lost his race to Elaine Mather by 30 votes.
A Party for All did win what the group's spokeswoman, Susan Roth, who won the Athens fourth ward fourth precinct seat, called the most important race. Tommy Adkins, endorsed by A Party for All, defeated Susan Gwinn for the Athens South District seat by 70 votes.
Gwinn, the former chairwoman of the Athens County Democratic Party, was convicted of two misdemeanor charges of falsification in January and paid a fine of $1,000. Prosecutors said Gwinn concealed the source of her campaign donations. Gwinn's court case partly spurred the creation of A Party for All.
I just figured I could do a better job Adkins said about his choice to run against Gwinn.
Cheers and applause erupted at Jackie O's when the results of Adkins' race were announced. Roth said she cared more about Adkins' race than her own.
Though A Party for All lost more of the contested seats than it won, members remained optimistic.
The Party has brought in more people than ever before. Everyone will come together and accomplish goals said City Councilman Elahu Gosney, D-at large.
A Party for All has created a good debate in the Democratic Party, said Athens County Assistant Prosecutor Keller Blackburn, who lost his race for Nelsonville third ward first precinct to Challie Abraham by only four votes.
A Party for All has gotten a lot of people involved...We will come together and keep working hard
Blackburn said.
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Marika Lee
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Susan Mitchell (left) announces Tommy Adkins' win for County Central Committee Member Athens South at the Democratic results party last night in Jackie O's Pub and Brewery. Adkins defeated Susan Gwinn for the seat by 70 votes. (Katherine Egli | Staff Photographer)
