Old School Pa. Dem to Leave: No word on how radical his replacement will be

03/07/2014

Lebder will step down after 40 years as head of Fayette County Democrats

Evan Sanders | Daily Courier

Fred Lebder (left), chairman of the Fayette County Democratic Party, speaks with Sen. Robert Casey Jr. during Casey's visit to Sam's Restaurant in Uniontown on October 30, 2008. Lebder, now 93, announced on Thursday, March 6, 2014, that he will not seek re-election when his term expires in the spring.

The longtime leader of Fayette County's Democratic party has announced he will not seek re-election when his term expires this spring.

“When my time is up, it's up,” Fred Lebder said on Thursday. “It's time to let somebody else take the reins.”

Lebder, 93, said he has served as the Democratic committee chairman for 40 years, but records kept by the state Democratic Party show he has held it longer, for 46 years.

Lebder cited the recent loss of his wife, Norma, as one reason he is stepping aside.

“She was my right arm, and she helped me politically,” Lebder said. “Behind every man, there is a good woman, and she was a good one.”

Lebder would not elaborate on his work as chairman, but he noted that under his guidance, the county “is still electing Democrats.”

Current and former elected Democrats said Lebder's shoes will be difficult to fill.

“There are a lot of people who will hate to see him go, and a lot who won't,” said Suzanne Teslovich, who served two terms as a county commissioner with Lebder. “The question is who will try to take over.

“I don't think there's anybody strong enough to take control and have the power he had,” Teslovich said.

Lebder's affiliation with Fayette's Democratic party includes 28 years as a county commissioner, beginning in 1968. During his tenure, little was accomplished without Lebder's blessing, Teslovich said.

“If you needed something from somebody in office, they always said they had to ask Fred first,” Teslovich said. “It was what Fred said.”

Teslovich said she held her own during her time on the board, sometimes teaming up with the minority Republican commissioner at the time, the late Marion “Slugger” Klingensmith. She recalled an instance in which she and Klingensmith worked together to persuade a county employee with ties to Lebder to fix a bridge.

The employee did not want to fix the bridge, she said, because it was in a township where he had lost an election as supervisor. Lebder had helped him get the job with the county, she said. Teslovich said she and Klingensmith worked together to remove the employee from his position.

Connellsville attorney Carmine Molinaro served four terms as a county commissioner with Lebder.

“Fred was a master politician,” Molinaro said. “He was well-respected on the state level, and even the national level. Those are very tough shoes to fill.”

Molinaro said Lebder was effective because the skills he developed as the sole distributor of a cookie franchise transferred easily to the duties of a party chairman.

“Because of his business background as exclusive distributor of Salerno and Mama's cookies, he had a distribution mentality,” Molinaro said. “He knew the art of distribution, and in retail politics, that's part of it. He knew demographically where political cards went, how to get the signs out, and the poll workers where they were supposed to be.”

Vincent Zapotosky, a current county commissioner, described Lebder as a “legend” throughout the state.

“He has served the Democrat Party for decades at his own expense, and not just financially,” Zapotosky said. “He started a lot of public service careers. I don't know anybody who's going to be as committed to it as he has been. There will never be another Fred Lebder.”

Janice Snyder, clerk of courts, said she has not always agreed with Lebder, but he has accomplished much for the county.

She said Lebder has been considering leaving politics for some time, especially since his wife died in July. The two were inseparable, she said, often attending political functions together.

Changes in other elected offices, including the pending retirement of long-time Democrat state Sen. Rich Kasunic, might have been a factor in Lebder's decision, she said.

“With (Rich) Kasunic retiring, he's maybe seeing an end to an era,” Snyder said. “I'm glad to see he's going out in style.”

Lebder said he will convene a committee meeting after the May 20 primary to elect a new party leader.

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