ELYRIA — Robert Rousseau stuck to his 4-year-old promise this week, stepping down as chairman of the county Republican Party despite numerous requests that he stay on.

“We tried real hard to talk him out of it,” said Helen Hurst, who replaced Rousseau as the county’s top Republican. “If he had run, I think he would have won.”

Rousseau will remain a precinct committeeman and continue to serve on the county Board of Elections for the next four years.

He said he plans to leave the county post after his four-year term — which began earlier this year — ends.

Rousseau said his decision to leave had nothing to do with his conviction four years ago on misdemeanor charges of having an unlawful interest in a public contract that stemmed from a finder’s fee he received from a company that did business with the county.

“I felt at the time I’d served enough time,” he said.

Rousseau said Republicans seemed surprised that he really was not running for chairman of the party’s executive committee.

Elections Board Deputy Director Marilyn Jacobcik said it was a shame to lose Rousseau, who has been in a leadership role in the party since at least 1980.

“Everybody feels devastated right now,” she said. “He was very popular.”

Hurst said she’s named Rousseau to the honorary post of chairman emeritus and expects him to remain heavily involved in the decision-making process.

Rousseau isn’t the only high-ranking Republican in the county who won’t be keeping his job.

The members of the Lorain Area Republican Party — which includes Sheffield, Sheffield Lake and Sheffield Township — voted out Chairman David Arredondo on Wednesday.

Sheffield Lake Law Director David Graves will replace Arredondo, whom he challenged for the job.

“The party members felt that the party needed a change,” Graves said.

Arredondo briefly had mulled trying to become mayor of Lorain last year after then-Mayor Craig Foltin resigned to take the top finance job at Cuyahoga Community College. Ultimately, Arredondo stepped back and allowed John Romoser to take over for Foltin.

Romoser was defeated in November by current Mayor Tony Krasienko.

Arredondo said he was disappointed by the loss in part because he hoped to lead a revival of the Lorain Republicans and find a candidate to oust Krasienko when he’s up for re-election.

Graves said that’s his goal as well.

Democrats kept the status quo when they met Thursday night, re-electing Tom Smith to the chairman’s job.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

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