Michael Allbright is the new chair of the Clinton County Democratic Party.
A member of Wilmington City Council who is employed at Wilmington College as assistant vice president for student affairs, Allbright succeeds Ann Reno. Reno served as the county Democrats’ executive committee chair for nearly 30 years before she decided not to run again for chair.
Alongside his statement that there is “a very strong nucleus of volunteers” who have dedicated many years to supporting the party, candidates and issues important to the majority of the party, Allbright said he has many goals for the Clinton County Democratic Party.
Among those goals, he said, is reaching out and inviting a more varied age group to the county Democrats’ events and activities, as well as “embracing new and ever-changing technologies and different campaign tactics and strategies.”
Allbright said he would like to expand and broaden relationships with adjacent counties’ Democratic Parties, as well as the Ohio Democratic Party and national organizations.
“This is an outstanding opportunity to embrace change. There is a great foundation in place, but with new leadership for the first time in nearly three decades this is a great opportunity to grow and expand the party,” said Allbright.
The News Journal asked Allbright an open-ended question whether there was anything he wanted to add for publication in the local newspaper which has a general circulation in Clinton County.
“With some recent tumultuous and trying times, and divisiveness being prevalent from both the right, left and center, the one thing that the Clinton County Democratic Party would like to do is encourage all unregistered voters to take the time to register to vote and vote in the primaries and general elections,” said Allbright.
“Please also take the time to research, meet the local and state candidates if possible, and don’t just focus on the letter in parenthesis by their name on the ballot,” he said.
In addition, Allbright said the local Democratic Party would like to extend the proverbial olive branch to other political parties in Clinton County. “Too much tension over the past two national elections in 2016 and 2020,” he elaborated.
The term for the Clinton County Democratic Party chair is for four years.
NOTE: The Clinton County Republican Party also has a new chairman, Terry Habermehl. The News Journal asked him the same questions that it asked Allbright, and a corresponding article about Habermehl was published Wednesday.
