Thursday, May 8, 2003
Three independents have filed to run for Warren mayor.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- If at first you don't succeed, run as an independent.
That tried-and-true political philosophy was used by a number of candidates who were kicked off the ballot as partisan -- either Republican or Democratic -- candidates.
Those candidates, along with others, filed nominating petitions by Monday's deadline to be on the Nov. 6 general election ballot in partisan races as independent -- also known as nonparty -- candidates. Among them were:
*Donald E. Willis and Sandra Holowatuk for Youngstown's 1st and 4th Ward council seats, respectively. The two were Republican write-in candidates. They were removed from the ballot because there will be no Republican primary in Youngstown so no one could write in their names, making them ineligible.
URay Cox for Niles' 4th Ward council seat, and James J. Mann Sr. for Warren's 5th Ward council seat. The Trumbull County Board of Elections rejected their petitions when they filed for the seats as a Democrats.
URon Barnhart for an at-large Columbiana council seat. His petitions to run as a Republican in today's primary were rejected by the Columbiana County Board of Elections.
Withdrew, filed again
Also, two people who had filed to run in today's Democratic primary and then withdrew, filed to run for different seats.
Joseph N. Krizanic, a former Girard council president who had withdrawn from that city's mayoral race, filed to run as a 3rd Ward council candidate.
Edward Palestro Sr., who had pulled out of the Hubbard council at-large race, filed to run for council's 4th Ward seat.
County boards of elections have until July 15 to certify the nominating petitions of nonparty candidates.
These candidates avoid today's partisan primary and face whoever emerges from the Democratic and/or Republican primaries in the Nov. 6 general election.
Candidates wanting to run for nonpartisan seats such as township trustee or school board have until Aug. 21 to file their nominating petitions.
Warren's mayoral race
Whoever wins today's five-person Democratic primary for the Warren mayoral seat will not only face Republican Randy Law in the November general election, but also three nonparty candidates.
The mayoral candidates are Joe H. Williams, the former council president who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1999; Lee E. DeJacimo, a water department employee and president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local union that represents Warren employees; and Dominic S. Venetti Sr.
Other notable candidates are:
URobert P. Carcelli, a former longtime Struthers councilman-at-large, who filed to run for council President against Danny Thomas Jr., a political nemesis. Carcelli lost his at-large seat two years ago while under investigation by the FBI. He was never charged. But his brother, Ronald, who ran the city's street department at the time and was a school board member, was indicted for bribery, theft in office and theft. Robert Carcelli was a strong ally of Michael Orenic's, whom Thomas defeated to become council president two years ago.
UKaren Jones, a Lordstown village council member, is not seeking re-election to run for village clerk against longtime Clerk Judith A. Hall. Also, Ruth Ann Horvath, the village's board of public affairs clerk, is seeking the position as an independent.
UFormer McDonald councilman Jack J. Dugan Jr. filed to run for mayor as an independent.