Judge race tight, but Vettori rules

Less than 1 percent separated first and second place in the county court race.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Michael Dockry had to feel like he couldn't get away from Diane Vettori on Tuesday.
He lost a dogfight to Vettori by less than 1 percent in the race for Mahoning County court judge.
And when Dockry left The Gatsby in Austintown after the vote totals were in, he couldn't help but see Vettori's name in large block letters on a building directly across the parking lot. It was Vettori's law office.
"I said from the very beginning that this could end up being the closest race in Mahoning County history," a disappointed Dockry said. "It looks like I was right."
Dockry, Vettori and Loren Popio locked up in a nip-and-tuck battle that wasn't settled until the last votes were counted.
When the smoke cleared, Vettori had pulled in a scant 211 votes more than Dockry, and some 1,660 more than Popio, the incumbent.
Dockry said there are still walk-in votes to be counted, but he doesn't expect the outcome to change.
"No one could make up that many votes," he said.
The victory means Vettori, 34, will fill the unexpired term of Theresa Dellick, who left the county courts last year after being appointed county juvenile court judge. The term expires in January 2007.
Popio, 48, was appointed to fill the vacancy after Judge Dellick left and has served at the county court in Sebring. He could not be reached to comment.
Grueling night
Like Dockry, Vettori said she thought all along that the race would be close. That prepared her for the grueling night of waiting out the results.
"I was doing OK at first," the relieved Vettori said. "But the people around me were in so much emotional pain that I felt bad for them."
Dockry, 46, said he's disappointed at the outcome, but gratified at the show of support from his friends and backers.
Even though judicial races are nonpartisan, Vettori was backed by the Democratic Party and Popio was backed by the Republican Party, Dockry said.
"I was just out there running on my own," he said.
Vettori, a private practice attorney, said she'll work hard to be a good judge.
Common pleas court
In other judicial races, judges R. Scott Krichbaum, Timothy P. Maloney and Joseph Vukovich won re-election to their seats on the bench.
Judge Krichbaum, 50, thumped Atty. James Callen by nearly 44,000 votes and won a third term as common pleas court judge. He said the wide margin was especially satisfying because Callen had based his campaign on attacking Judge Krichbaum's character.
"I am truly thankful to God and to my family," Judge Krichbaum said. "And I'm overwhelmed by the support of my friends."
Judge Maloney fended off the challenge of Atty. Maureen Sweeney and will serve a second six-year term as probate court judge, outdistancing Sweeney by more than 7,660 votes.
"I think the people understood that I'm at least trying to do the best I can, and they supported that," Judge Maloney said.
Judge Vukovich is completing his first term on the 7th District Court of Appeals and was challenged by Judge C. Ashley Pike, a Columbiana County Common Pleas Court judge.
The court of appeals reviews decisions from lower courts in an eight-county district, including Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
Judge Vukovich defeated Judge Pike by more than 22,000 votes across the district. Judge Vukovich could not be reached to comment.
bjackson@vindy.com