VALLEY POLITICS Alberty to seek seat in Ohio House District 59

The Poland resident has run for Congress twice.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Paul Alberty is running for public office again this year.
But instead of running for Congress, the Poland Republican is seeking a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Alberty said he considered running for the Ohio House, the Ohio Senate and the 6th and 17th Congressional Districts seats.
"I decided the place I could make the biggest impact was in the Ohio House," Alberty said today. "I've always done well in the [U.S. Route] 224 corridor. I felt it was the best district for me."
Alberty, a former Poland village councilman, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1998 and 2000.
The statewide congressional redistricting plan, which takes effect next year, breaks up the current 17th District, which covers most of the Mahoning Valley, and places its remains in three separate districts. The change could mean the Valley would not be represented in Congress by someone who lives here for the first time since before the Civil War.
Criticism: Alberty said the Valley's weak leadership in the state Legislature was a primary reason for the breakup of the 17th District.
"We need better leadership in Columbus," he said. "This Valley needs somebody who can be effective. I don't see us getting the leadership we need from our current representative."
That current representative is state Rep. Kenneth Carano, an Austintown Democrat. Carano currently represents the 65th District, which because of redistricting was somewhat reconfigured and will become the 59th District beginning next year.
The new district includes Berlin, Boardman, Canfield, Ellsworth, Jackson, Milton and Poland townships, most of Austintown Township, the city of Canfield and the villages of Craig Beach and Poland.
Carano said he was not surprised Alberty is challenging him.
"Paul likes to run for everything," Carano said today. "The Republican Party is finding people to run against everyone. Paul's a nice guy, and I'm sure he's got the best interests of the people in mind. But I think my experience and knowledge will prevail."
skolnick@vindy.com