Richland County politicians dressed in green and gathered to honor the late Kenneth E. McCartney at his annual memorial luncheon on Saturday. The luncheon marked the 20th anniversary of the celebration, which originally started in 1994 as a way to raise money to purchase and renovate a place for democratic headquarters in Richland County.
McCartney’s youngest son Brian McCartney said his father was a former chairman of Richland County’s democratic party, and had strong feelings about the party needing its own headquarters in the county. He described his dad as “a real character.”
“He was much more political than I am,” said McCartney. “You knew when he came in a room that he was there, he let you know it and he let you know what his positions were on things real clearly, you always knew where he stood.”
After Kenneth McCartney’s passing in 1994, then-chairman of the party John Rinehardt approached Brian about starting a campaign to raise money for a headquarters space.
“Had I known it was going to be a 20-year commitment I might have thought about it a little bit more,” said McCartney with a laugh. “Six years ago we accomplished our goal, we were able to buy this building and renovate it and make a difference in downtown Mansfield as well. Now every year we do this event we’re focused on the operation and maintenance of the building.”
Irish music played in the background as more than 80 guests congregated at the Kenneth E. McCartney Memorial Building on Park Street in Mansfield. While McCartney said he is proud that the building bears his dad’s name, he emphasized the space and the celebration is about more than just one person.
“It really represents all the people that have committed and had the courage to work on this for 20 years,” said Brian. “It’s not just Ken McCartney; we’re really proud to have his name on the door but we’re prouder of all the people that have spent so much time making this thing a reality.”
One of those people working hard behind the scenes is Jim Mawhorr, the winner of the 2014 “Spirit of Democracy” award presented by Brian McCartney. Each year the recipient of the award is a person who has worked continuously for the party and a fierce fighter for the causes they believe in.
“It’s not an award for office holders or political people at all, it’s more for people that work behind the scenes to get things done that really get no recognition but do a lot of work,” said Brian.
Mawhorr was chosen due to his ability to always bring out the best in people, according to the 2013 award recipient Phillip Naumoff, who presented Mawhorr with the award.
In homage to his Irish heritage, Brian said the celebration has been held on the Saturday closest to St. Patrick’s Day every year. Also sharing Irish roots with the McCartneys is Ohio Auditor candidate and current Representative John Patrick Carney, who attended Saturday’s luncheon.
“When you look at the legacy here and the amount of support the McCartney’s gave to the Democratic Party, literally to the extent of mortgaging their own home to come up with resources to support the cause, it’s a really inspiring story of all the sacrifice by his dad and by the whole family,” said Carney.
In a speech that received a standing ovation from the crowd, Carney delivered a call to action to continue the Democratic Party’s legacy and to bring meaning to the McCartney family’s sacrifices.
“For those of us who are actively engaged in the process, we realize that this isn’t about just getting people elected to office, this is about keeping the American dream alive for people who are from middle class and working class and poor families,” said Carney.
Brian McCartney echoed Carney’s sentiments, saying his dad’s memorial luncheon brought together both Republicans and Democrats who believe in working together toward a common goal.
“Dad was a moderate and most of these folks here are uniting-type people rather than dividers,” said Brian. “What’s the point? You’re not accomplishing anything for everybody if you’re out there trying to pull everyone apart.”
“For those of us who are actively engaged in the process, we realize that this isn’t about just getting people elected to office, this is about keeping the American dream alive for people who are from middle class and working class and poor families,” said John Patrick Carney.
