IRONTON — Several local Democrats approved of the move late Wednesday afternoon by Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann to resign his state office.

Holding a press conference Wednesday afternoon with Gov. Ted Strickland, Dann announced his resignation, a move that was called for in recent days by a number of state officials including the governor.

“It was time for him to go,” said Mark McCown, an Ironton lawyer and treasurer of the county’s Democratic executive committee. “He had to fire three of his assistants. Obviously there were problems in the office. Someone needed to take responsibility. The attorney general’s actions are a slap in the face to the party.”

Dann, a Democrat, offered to resign Tuesday if an investigation into his scandal-plagued office were delayed, but put off calls to resign. Some legislators pushed for an investigation into the attorney general’s office, a move some Democrats wanted to avoid. Dann admitted earlier this month to an extramarital affair with an employee and that he contributed to an atmosphere leading to sexual harassment claims in that office.

“It’s not a matter of politics,” McCown said. “It’s a matter of honor and principle and the attorney general has failed us in both respects.”

“In my opinion, it was the only thing that should have been done,” Ron Davis, an Elizabeth Township trustee, said after hearing about the resignation. “He should have resigned earlier. I’m glad to hear he did resign. I think it will only benefit the Democratic party.”

“(Dann) preached morality, so it’s only fitting,” Davis said. “He did this to himself and so did his friends.”

County Treasurer Steve Burcham, a Democrat, said it’s hard to be an effective leader with those allegations hanging over your head. “It was the right thing for him to do,” he said. “It’s the best thing for the state and the best thing for the party.”

“We need to set an example for others to follow,” he said. “I don’t think (Dann) has adhered to that. I’m glad he realized his effectiveness as the state’s legal officer has been compromised.”

The resignation should help the party in a presidential election year, said Eric Bradshaw, a Democratic member of the Lawrence County Board of Elections. “As Democrats, we need to clean our own house,” he said. “As long as he continued, it was an embarrassment to the party. It’s not a good situation, but for a bad situation this is the best result. It’s what should happen.”

Craig Allen, an Ironton lawyer and chair of the county’s Democratic executive committee, was among those calling for Dann to resign.

“The governor had the right idea,” Allen said Tuesday. “We need to police ourselves and stay on the high ground.”

Strickland can name a successor, but that person will have to run in this fall’s general election, McCown said. The election would be for the remaining two years on the term. State Treasurer Richard Cordray, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and high education Chancellor Eric Fingerhut have all been mentioned as possible replacements for Dann, according to The Associated Press.