As minority party’s leader, Mohlke held respect of all

Naples Daily News Editorial

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The end of an era.

That is more than a cliche when talking about Chuck Mohlke of Naples and his decision to step aside as chairman of the Collier County Democratic Party after 20 years.

Mohkle, 74, deftly juggled the challenge of keeping party members informed and energized while deciding when to pick political fights with vastly more numerous Republicans.

Mohlke's strategy was to reduce the number of fights and get results via diplomacy, choosing to work with Republicans whenever possible on public policy matters such as redistricting, ethics reform and election vote-counting rules and technology.

Bipartisanship is his middle name. To him, what's best for the community beats fretting about who wins and gets the credit. He is part of our moral compass - loyal to his convictions yet never a contrarian.

He is a gentle man who thinks beyond the sound bite.

He is the go-to guy for demographics. He knows the changing face of our area - where people came from, where they live, how old they are and how they vote - perhaps better than any other person in our community.

We are thankful Mohkle is remaining in the community and staying involved in party politics at the state and national levels. Any issue that gets his thoughtful counsel is better off for it.

The future direction of the local Democratic Party's activities will be measured by the standards he helped shape.

He managed to earn, then keep what few political figures can for such an extended time. Our respect.

Thank you for 20 years of a tough job very well done, Mr. Mohkle.