The past two years have been a roller coaster for Chris Redfern. In 2012, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party weathered one of the worst election years for Democrats in history; Republicans swept every statewide office on the ballot, took back control of the Ohio House and gained five seats in Congress.  But the GOP tsunami didn’t sweep Redfern off his swagger. 

“There’ll be those, my critics who will judge me on the fact that I might not wear a necktie, and that maybe we have suffered some losses. The same folks didn’t stop by to congratulate us in ’06 and ‘08, and I suspect they won’t be here in 2012.”

And since 2010, Ohio Democrats and their allies have seen some victories. In 2011, there was the defeat of Senate Bill 5, a bill that would have curtailed public employee unions. Voters  rejected 62 to 38 percent.

Redfern talked about it the day after the vote. 

“Democrats are on the rise here in Ohio. After tough losses a year ago, pundits thought Democrats in this state would go into hiding. While S.B. 5 is dead, the groundswell of activism is generated lives on and will carry over into the 2012 cycle.” 

Which weighs heavier?
Those two events are very much on the minds of Democrats, as Redfern’s term as party chairman is up. He’s running for re-election, but facing a challenger in Lorain County Democratic Party Chairman Anthony Giardini.

Among Giardini’s backers is his longtime friend, former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. 

“Democrats suffered some very debilitating losses in 2010, and as much as the party may have tried to say it was a bad year, bad circumstances, the buck stops with the chair. And the party needs greater unity going into a presidential election.”

Brunner says some in the party are very concerned about a potential conflict of time and interest for Redfern, who will likely be elected to his old seat in the Ohio House.

Union support is uncertain 
But some high-profile Democrats are speaking for Redfern, including U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Ohio House Minority Leader Armond Budish. Budish says he backs Redfern because of his support for Democrats running for office, and for the S.B. 5 defeat. 

“To win with more than 60 percent,, to win anything in Ohio with more than 60 percent? That’s unheard of. It was because first, the extreme overreach of the bill, but it was also due in part to an excellent campaign.”

Critical in this vote will be the labor unions. Giardini has the support of several trade unions, and Brunner says she can only count one union supporting Redfern. But it’s a big and active one, the Service Employees International Union, which represents some public employees. But Brunner says she’s wondering where other public employee unions stand. 
“With the unity of labor in 2011, especially in favor of the public employees unions’ rights to collective bargaining, it’s very surprising that you don’t see more support for Chair Redfern.”

But Budish says he feels confident that the union vote will fall on Redfern’s side. 

“I’m not sure exactly what … has prompted a few of the unions to oppose Chris. But overall I believe that labor will largely be in support of him now, and I believe that when this is over, everybody will get back together.”

Most unions are staying quiet. The Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, which represents 35-thousand state workers, has endorsed neither candidate. An AFL-CIO  spokesman says an endorsement is unlikely. The state’s two teachers’ unions, the Ohio Education Association and the Ohio Federation of Teachers, also haven’t issued endorsements.