6TH DISTRICT D'Apolito endorses Halleck in race

The man who lost the Democratic primary is endorsing the Republican in the 6th Congressional District race.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Most partisan primary losers either endorse their political party's nominee or just keep their mouths shut.
Not Lou D'Apolito of Boardman, who lost the Democratic primary in May to U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lucasville for the 6th Congressional District seat.
D'Apolito is endorsing Mike Halleck of Salem, Strickland's Republican challenger.
"This was not an easy decision to make," D'Apolito said. "I've been a Democrat for a long time. Sometimes you have to set aside politics to do what is best for your community.
"There are some things more important than party politics. Mahoning and Columbiana counties are more important than Democrats and Republicans."
D'Apolito fared poorly against Strickland in the Democratic primary, losing 40,975 to 13,279. D'Apolito did not receive at least 100 votes in seven of the 12 counties in the 6th District. But he defeated Strickland in Mahoning County, 6,780 to 6,299.
Strickland's concern
The D'Apolito-Halleck announcement so concerned Strickland that he called a press conference a few hours earlier with Mahoning County Democratic elected officials to tout his candidacy.
State Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, a strong Strickland supporter, acknowledged the meeting was "put together hastily."
Strickland said the officeholders' endorsement means that Mahoning County is supporting him. Strickland said he was not surprised that D'Apolito is backing Halleck.
"I don't know what's in [D'Apolito's] mind or heart, but I'm not terribly concerned because if I can have these folks supporting me, I'm pleased," he said while surrounded by the local officials.
On hand Tuesday to endorse Strickland were Boccieri, state Rep. Kenneth A. Carano, state Sen. Robert F. Hagan, county Treasurer John Reardon, county Recorder Ronald Gerberry, county Engineer Richard Marsico and Harry Meshel, a former state Senate majority leader.
"If you look at the faces he surrounded himself with, they're people, frankly, with little influence," Halleck said.
skolnick@vindy.com