Tt post mon jul 27 2015 - b

quote=193688

Prior to Toledo's strong mayor form of government, I did not realize that Toledo mayoral elections were held every two years.

[John McHugh] defeated Republican incumbent Donna Owens in 1989 and Republican challenger Paula Pennypacker in 1991.

It appears that Carty ran for mayor in 1981 as a Republican and lost. He may have run for mayor in 1987 as a Democrat and lost.

Wikipedia : Carty Finkbeiner

During his long career in public service, Carty has been a member of multiple parties. At various times and for various offices he has run as a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent. Finkbeiner served eight years as a city councilman and two years as deputy mayor.

What was a deputy mayor?

In 2010, Carty joined the "No Labels" movement.

No Labels encompasses politicians, commentators, and strategists of both major political parties who fear that extremists are keeping the nation from making the tough changes necessary to keep the economy and the republic strong.

"I think the voice of the reasonable has become diminished," said Mr. Finkbeiner.

Digest that. Carty, the Reasonable, joined a group to combat extremists.

Participants such as Mr. Finkbeiner say No Labels is not aiming to be a third party.

"We are not being asked to abandon our parties. What we are working to do is to work vigorously in support of centrist Democrats and centrist Republicans gaining strength and those persons continuing to reach across the aisle and work with the centrists on the other side of the aisle," Mr. Finkbeiner said.

????

But Carty has always been a member of the Carty Party.

A Democrat, Mr. Finkbeiner, has a record of political independence. Some in the past have said his loyalty was to the "Carty party."

He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Congress in 1974 and 1976, was elected to City Council as a Republican in 1979, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor as a Republican in 1981.

In 1983, Mr. Finkbeiner led a new third party, Citizens Organized and United for a New Toledo (COUNT), winning election to council under that banner and becoming the first elected independent on council since 1959.

In 1985, Mr. Finkbeiner sought, but did not get, the Democratic endorsement for City Council, winning the election anyway.

The political transformation was complete in 1987 when the Lucas County Democratic Party endorsed him for mayor.

Carty's record in Toledo mayoral elections may be 3-2 over the past 34 years.

My only history of Toledo governmen

Recent Toledo mayors :

1971–1976	Harry W. Kessler	Democratic
1977–1983	Douglas DeGood	Democratic
1983–1989	Donna Owens	Republican
1990–1993	John McHugh	Democratic
1994–2002	Carleton S. Finkbeiner	Democratic
2002–2006	Jack Ford	Democratic
2006–2010	Carleton S. Finkbeiner	Democratic
2010–2014	Michael P. Bell	Independent
2014-2015	D. Michael Collins	Independent
2015-present	Paula Hicks-Hudson	Democratic