Dems should back Baker for commissioner

Democrats have their choice between two strong candidates in the race for the Lorain County Board of Commissioners' seat now held by Republican Jeff Riddell. Both Brian Baker, 63, and Carolyn White, 71, would make fine commissioners if elected, but first they must beat whoever emerges from the Republican primary, which pits Riddell against farmer and Firelands school board member Will Schlechter. It's a close call, but we believe Baker is the better candidate to win the general election in part because during separate endorsement interviews, he emerged as the sharper critic of what's happening in county government. He was particularly critical of the commissioners' handling of the county's finances, including spending on outside lawyers to handle disputes between the commissioners and other county officials. Some, but not all, of those disputes have centered on budget cuts the commissioners made this year. White, too, raised concerns about the county's finances, and we believe her background as a bank executive, along with her time on Lorain City Council in the 1990s and later 12 years on Sheffield Village Council, would make her a good guardian of taxpayer money. White told us that she believed she would make the stronger candidate in November in part because of her second-place finish in the Democratic primary two years ago. She finished a little more than 7 percentage points behind that contest's winner, Lorain City Councilman Tony Dimacchia. He went on to lose the general election against now-Commissioner Marty Gallagher, a Republican, by nearly 5 percentage points. Baker, who didn't face a primary challenge in 2024, had a stronger showing in that year's general election against Commissioner Dave Moore, a Republican. Baker lost by a little more than 2 percentage points in what he accurately described as a good year for Republicans. In the intervening years, Baker has maintained a high profile. (He is retired after a long career as a union official, at both the local and national levels, with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He was the union's national political director in Washington, D.C., giving him valuable experience in politics and policy. We also suspect Baker's union ties would serve him well in the general election.) Baker has been a fixture at commissioners' meetings, asking questions and criticizing the board during the public-comment portion of those meetings. He's faced criticism that he's campaigning when he does so, but Baker, like every other member of the public, has the right to petition the government. Moreover, Baker has shown up at the picket line to support striking county Department of Job and Family Services workers and attended meetings about a proposed "mega site" at and around the Lorain County Regional Airport in New Russia Township. White also has been engaged. She told us she had attended meetings in New Russia Township and watched the commissioners' meetings online. Baker's regular attendance of meetings has given him a ringside seat to the chaos that has defined the Republican commissioners' leadership of county government. "Jeff talks down to people," Baker said about Riddell while discussing the proposed "mega site" and a proposed sewer project that are aimed at spurring development on the county's west side. Riddell can indeed come across as dismissive of those who disagree with him. That includes the county officials, such as county Sheriff Jack Hall, a Republican, who have clashed with the commissioners. Baker also correctly identified another key problem with the commissioners' leadership: their lack of transparency. Too often, it seems the public and other county officials are caught flat-footed by the commissioners' moves. Nowhere was that more apparent than on the mega site and sewer projects, which many residents contended they knew little about until last year. The commissioners have argued that they have been transparent. Baker and White both said they understood the environmental and other concerns raised by residents about the two projects, which are in many ways linked. White told us that while the county needed economic development, the commissioners needed to do a better job of listening to their constituents. Similarly, Baker said he didn't oppose growth, but that it needed to be "controlled" and that the commissioners should listen to input from residents. The mega site will remain a key issue for the commissioners in the coming years even though the New Russia Township trustees rejected rezoning requests to facilitate the project. (It seems likely that the township will face a lawsuit over the decision.) The two Democrats also recognized that the county still needed to address the aging Lorain County Jail and to find a buyer for Midway Mall in Elyria. (In 2023, the commissioners loaned the Lorain County Port Authority $13.9 million to buy the mall, but a deal to sell it to a developer fell apart last year.) Again, Baker and White are both solid candidates, but we give the edge to Baker because of his higher profile, his union background and his tougher critiques of the commissioners.