Four have filed petitions to run in primary for 6th District seat

A Mahoning County commissioner is not entering the congressional race, and a former Columbiana County commissioner is undecided.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- "Tomorrow will be too late, it's now or never."
Elvis Presley wasn't singing about the deadline for those wanting to run in their political party's May 7 primary, but his words certainly apply.
Today is the filing deadline for candidates to submit nominating petitions to county boards of elections in Ohio to run for a number of political offices including Congress.
For Mahoning County Commissioner Ed Reese, it's not now.
Reese, a Boardman Democrat who received bipartisan support for a congressional bid, opted not to seek the 6th District position.
"It was very tempting, but our kids are too young and going back and forth between here and Washington, D.C., and throughout the district was going to be too much," he said.
The new 6th Congressional District is about 300 miles long and includes 12 counties along the state's eastern border. Columbiana County and Mahoning County except its northeast portion are part of the district. The Republican-controlled state Legislature approved a plan to break up the Mahoning Valley's 17th District and put its remains in three other districts, including the 6th.
"People want someone from our area to run because we got screwed" on redistricting." Reese said. "I'd still like to see someone from Mahoning or Columbiana run. I think a good candidate from here, someone who both counties could get behind, could win. But it's going to be an uphill task."
6th District hopefuls: As of Wednesday, four candidates filed nominating petitions to run in the 6th District.
They are:
U U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, a Lucasville Democrat who is seeking his fifth term in Congress.
U Lou A. D'Apolito, a Boardman Democrat who received 4 percent of the vote in the 17th Congressional District election two years ago running as an independent.
U Charles Brown, a Yorkville Democrat and regional vice president of a legal service agency in Belmont County. Brown, who has never run for public office before, has worked as a life and health insurance salesman and a coal mine worker.
U Lyle Williams, a Lordstown Republican and a former three-term congressman.
Former Columbiana County Commissioner Michael Halleck, a Salem Republican, said his decision on running for the 6th District seat will come right down to the wire.
Halleck said he wrote two letters and will release one today. One letter is an announcement of his candidacy and the other is a statement as to why he is not seeking the position.
skolnick@vindy.com