COLUMBUS — The state Democratic Party put mayors in city halls and improved its own finances during David Leland's seven years as party chairman. He leaves his post, however, with a third goal unmet: getting candidates into more statewide offices.

        Mr. Leland, a lawyer, last month decided against seeking election to a fifth term and will become national director of Project Vote, a nonpartisan voter registration and mobilization group. Franklin County's party chairman, Denny White, was elected his replacement last week.

        Mr. Leland took over the party in 1995, the year after Democrats lost control of the Ohio House and two more state offices, auditor and attorney general. They had lost the governor's office and secretary of state in 1990 and then-Gov. George Voinovich appointed fellow Republican Ken Blackwell as treasurer in 1994.

        In 1998, the party lost all of the statewide executive offices again. The Democrats have held onto two Supreme Court seats.

        Mr. Leland said Thursday that when he took office, he had three goals: raise enough money to give the party a permanent headquarters and bring its technology up to speed, build a “farm team” of high-profile local candidates and bring Democrats back to statewide office.

        “We did the fund raising and we did the technological upgrade,” he said. “We invested in the local races so now we have a Democratic mayor for the first time in the history of the state of Ohio in every major city.

        “We didn't quite pull off the statewide races.”

        Mr. White said Mr. Leland excelled at fund-raising, but may have been hurt by a lack of experience in day-to-day politics. Mr. Leland's political experience was in the Legislature; Mr. White has been chairman of the Franklin County party since 1994.

        “Dave might have been a more successful chair if he'd been a county chair and been down there on the front lines,” Mr. White said.

        Mr. Leland's future was dictated in part when Ohio's labor unions, the Democrats' traditional allies, withdrew their support earlier this year.

        It started when another county chairman, Dennis Lieberman, challenged Mr. Leland before the state leader had decided against seeking re-election. Mr. Lieberman, of Montgomery County, withdrew from the race against Mr. White just before last week's vote.

        “With Dennis Lieberman and his supporters calling for Leland's replacement for so long, it became very divisive. Our leadership questioned Dave's ability,” Ohio AFL-CIO President William Burga said.

        Mr. Leland said he leaves the job with few regrets. President Clinton won Ohio in 1996, and the party has retained the two Supreme Court seats, he noted.

        “When you look at the total picture — where we were in 1995 and where we are today — I'm satisfied with the seven years.”

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