HAMILTON — Tuesday's election losses in seven county-level races capped a tumultuous year — and a rough couple of decades — for the Butler County Democratic Party.

ROUGH YEAR

A series of setbacks has hit the Democratic Party in Butler County this year. Some highlights:     • Don Dixon and his family of prominent longtime Democrats — who also contributed heavily to the party — became the latest in a string of high-profile defectors when they voted on Republican ballots in the March primary, citing philosophical differences.     • Since spring, the Ohio Secretary of State's Office has been investigating allegations that Board of Elections members Mark Conese and Donald Daiker, both Democrats, might have threatened to fire Mr. Dixon's son, Brent, unless he contributed much of his part-time, $6,000 salary to the county Democratic Party. The allegedly coercive meeting happened six days before the Dixons switched parties. The Secretary of State's Office last week said the investigation was continuing.     • Democrat Jon V. Saylor, a Fairfield city councilman, was indicted on charges that he created sham voters and falsified absentee ballots in the November 1999 general election. Ten charges were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to 58 counts; he is scheduled for sentencing Tuesday.     • In June, the Ohio State Highway Patrol declared that an employee of Prosecutor John F. Holcomb, a Democrat, misused the state crime computer while trying to investigate Mr. Holcomb's political opponent, Robin Piper. The punishment: little more than a warning not to do it again.     • Mr. Holcomb, the lone Democrat holding countywide partisan office in Butler, died July 22 after 27 years in office.     • In the Nov. 7 general election, Mr. Holcomb's appointed successor, Dan Gattermeyer, was unable to stave off Mr. Piper's challenge. And despite what many agreed was the Democrats' largest, strongest slate of candidates in years, six other races for county-level seats also fell to Republicans. All county-level offices are now under Republican control — believed to be the first time that's happened in Butler County.

        Some of its members have been plagued by recent scandals, from voter fraud to computer misuse. Then the party lost its most powerful member, Prosecutor John F. Holcomb, the only Democrat holding countywide elected office, when he died of an apparent heart attack in July.

        Party leaders had said the prosecutor's race was essential to the Democratic Party's future, and they were confident that Mr. Holcomb's appointed successor, Dan Gattermeyer, could preserve the party's 35-year hold on the office. What's more, many believed West Chester Township Trustee Catherine Stoker had a decent chance of unseating Republican County Commissioner Charles Furmon.

        Instead, Republicans prevailed in every county-level race Tuesday. All Butler elected offices will be under GOP control next year, perhaps for the first time in the formerly Democrat-dominant county. Butler joins neighboring Warren and Clermont counties in their single-party status.

        Amid this lopsided political landscape, Butler Republicans say they're imbued with a sense of pride and responsibility. Butler Democrats, worried about Republicans ruling unchecked, remain determined to regain a toehold in GOP territory.

        “After this election, it seems to me that no matter how qualified, no matter how much money you spend, you can't get a Democrat elected in Butler County,” said Democrat Alan Laney, whom incumbent Sheriff Harold Don Gabbard beat 71 percent to 29 percent Tuesday. “You could run a ferret up here in Butler County, and it would get elected as long as it had an 'R' behind its name.”

        In Butler County, registered GOP voters outnumber Democrats 3-to-1, acknowledges Republican Party Chairman Carlos Todd. While the Republican Party generally accepts ex-Democrats with no qualms, Mr. Todd says the party rebuffs opportunists who join solely for the sake of having that “R” on thw ballot.

        “We want people who come to our party because they believe in our philosophies, rather than just because they want to get into office,” he said.

        Mr. Todd said the party is successful because it's well-organized, offers consistently good candidates and shows a willingness to police its own. “We believe in cleaning our own house if there's a problem with our officeholders,” Mr. Todd said.

        Despite frustration, Mr. Laney — an anomaly because he's a Republican-turned-Democrat — said he intends to run again. He said the Democratic Party meets next week and is likely to lick its wounds, then redouble its efforts.

        Don Daiker, chairman of the Butler County Democratic Party, in July had said the prosecutor's race was vital to the party's very survival. But on Friday he said the situation wasn't quite so dire.

        “There were some positive signs for the Democratic Party in this last election,” he said. Four first-time Democratic candidates — Mr. Laney, Brian Harrison (Common Pleas Court clerk's race), Terry Bridge (county commissioner) and Kevin Williams (60th District state representative) — “made a very strong and favorable impression on voters,” Mr. Daiker said. “The challenge for the Democratic Party will be to hold onto these candidates and not allow them to get discouraged. We've got to build from the ground up now.”

        Philip Russo Jr., director of the Miami University Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs, noted that while many incumbent Butler Republicans trounced Democratic challengers, that's probably because of “the power of the incumbency.” Party affiliation, he said, is less a factor than some believe it to be.

        There are 148,020 independents — and they outnumber Butler's Republicans and Democrats combined.

        “Clearly, it will be an uphill battle for the Democratic Party,” Mr. Russo said, “and I don't think they'll walk away from it.”

        Steve Kemme contributed to this report.

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