CRESTVIEW HILLS — Kenton County Democrats made a move to attract younger members Tuesday night by electing a 31-year-old lawyer chairman of the party.

        Patrick Hughes, a Fort Wright native and resident who served in the administrations of two Democratic governors, was chosen to lead a once dominant county party that has watched its influence and success dwindle in the face of a near decade-long string of GOP victories.
       

New ideas, members
        “I'm appreciative of this opportunity,” Mr. Hughes said during brief remarks at the meeting. “I think there are going to be a lot of new members and a lot of new ideas, and with your help I'd like to try to implement some of them in advance of the 2002 election.

        “I know it won't be easy, but with the Irish blood in me, I love being in the middle of things.”

        Mr. Hughes was unanimously elected by the 12 members of the county party's executive committee present at Tuesday night's meeting. He replaces Shirley Huelsmann of Fort Mitchell, who stepped down last year to care for her ailing mother.

        Also in the running for the chairmanship were Brad Burtner, an air-traffic controller at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport active in labor issues; and Natalie J. Green, communications administrator for International Paper Co.

        Mr. Burtner impressed his fellow executive committee members by showing no hard feelings and introducing the motion to elect Mr. Hughes.

        The task for Mr. Hughes and the rest of the party is daunting. Since the early 1990s Republicans, their ranks buoyed by suburban growth in the region, have run off a string of victories and now control the Kenton County Courthouse and most of the seats in the county's statehouse delegation.

        Republican candidates for federal office also typically carry the county, including George W. Bush, who won more than 60 percent of the Kenton County vote in November's presidential election.

        The Democrats were also stung last week by the long-expected departure of Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, who left the Democrats to join the GOP.

        Much of the Republican Party's strength has been attributed to its ability to attract and involve younger members, something Democrats have failed to do.
       

Quality stressed
        “If we field quality candidates ... and work to bring young people to the party, we will succeed,” said Ed Worland, the party's vice chairman and an Edgewood lawyer.

        Mr. Hughes is a lawyer in the Crestview Hills firm of Deters, Benzinger and LaVelle, a legal and political powerhouse whose clients include the Diocese of Covington, Huntington Bank, Kentucky Speedway and the St. Elizabeth hospitals, and whose partners and employees are active in Democratic as well as Republican politics.

        Before joining the firm, Mr. Hughes worked as a lawyer in the administrations of former Gov. Brereton Jones and Gov. Paul Patton. His father, Terry, is the Covington city engineer.

        Among his early plans is to form committees that will focus on fund raising, candidate recruitment, grass-roots party organization and public relations.

        Mr. Hughes also lauded the work of Mrs. Huelsmann.

        “I know there were a lot of geographic and demographic changes in the county, but Shirley was able to maintain a strong attitude and a fighting attitude and gave dedicated service to the Democratic Party,” he said. “For that, we thank her.”

        To show their appreciation, committee members presented Mrs. Huelsmann, who collects crystal figurines, with a small crystal rooster.

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