WARREN Ryan urges Dems to support Romain for city council seat

WARREN -- U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17th, sent a letter to the city's precinct committee members in support of Felipe Romain Jr., one of seven people seeking appointment to an at-large council seat.
Committee members will meet Thursday evening to name a council president to replace William "Doug" Franklin, who has been appointed safety-service director, and an at-large council member.
Former councilman Daniel E. Polivka resigned his council seat when he was appointed Trumbull County commissioner.
John Hunter, one of the others seeking the appointment, questions why Ryan, who lives in Niles, would get involved.
"All of the others in the race helped in his campaign too, putting up signs, voting for him," said Hunter, a 7th Ward councilman from 1994 to 1997. "I don't know why he would want to alienate all of the other good Democrats that have supported him."
Ryan said many of the candidates are qualified and good people, but Romain is a friend of Ryan and his wife's families. "He was a very early supporter of mine and he stood out in the cold holding campaign signs for my [state] senate campaign almost five years ago," Ryan said.
Others seeking the at-large appointment are Nick Bellas, Christopher Brown, Bob "Doby" Dean, Tristan Hand and Ron White.