The race to replace Mahoning County Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock is getting quite interesting.

The race to replace Mahoning County Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock is getting quite interesting.
Running for the Democratic nominee are Austintown Trustee David Ditzler, Anthony Traficanti, former regional director for the 17th Congressional District, and Bill Flickinger of Youngstown, a frequent talk radio show caller who isn't expected to fare well in next month's primary.
Also on the ballot is Tim Batton of Canfield. Batton announced last week that he was no longer seeking the position, although the state says otherwise. Batton wanted to quit the race and get his name off the ballot, but he made the decision after the state-imposed deadline to do so and thus will remain on the ballot.
Batton said he wants out of the race because he's concerned that Traficanti could win.
Batton and Ditzler appeal to the same voters, and Batton believed if he stayed in the race, they would split that vote, allowing Traficanti to win the primary.
Batton said he is concerned that electing Traficanti would damage the county's already-fragile image.
In an interview with this newspaper, at a press conference, and in a letter he sent to his supporters, Batton attacked Traficanti for his connection to former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., who is serving eight years in a federal prison for bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. Ditzler also says Traficanti's connection to Traficant -- for whom he worked for 10 years -- is an issue.
"His integrity and work experience comes into question," Ditzler said.
Among the crimes a jury found Traficant guilty of committing was a mail fraud act of racketeering for having Traficanti and two other former staffers work on his Greenford farm while collecting a paycheck. Traficanti was never charged with a crime.
Traficanti's connection to Traficant -- evident by the number of former Jimbo boosters who are among Traficanti's supporters -- is a legitimate campaign issue. It is an issue that Traficanti expected to tackle in the commissioner's race.
Traficanti insists he is clean, and as evidence, he says he passed the smell test given by the clerk of the U.S. House, who appointed him to run the congressional office after Traficant was kicked out of Congress. If he was corrupt, Traficanti says he would never have been given such a huge responsibility.
Even though he knew there would be questions about his Traficant connection, you could hear the shock in his voice when he was told that Batton quit the race because he didn't want Traficanti winning.
His initial comment was: "I can't believe that lying, two-faced piece of sh--. He's come up to me and said how good of a job I did in the congressional district. ... That is a bogus straight-out lie."
Traficanti said that Ditzler and his supporters put Batton up to not only quitting, but making those statements. Ditzler denies that.
But Ditzler doesn't shy away from making claims that integrity and experience are the key ingredients for a good commissioner, and he is the only candidate in the race who possesses those attributes.
While most of the criticism in the race is directed at Traficanti, Ditzler is getting some as well.
Among the several names Ditzler placed on a letter he sent to Mahoning County Democratic precinct committee members as a co-chairman of his campaign was Sheriff Randall Wellington.
Wellington said he never gave Ditzler permission to use his name on the letter or to be a campaign co-chairman.
"He assumed he was authorized to use my name on his letterhead, but I never gave it," Wellington said of Ditzler. "I'm not supporting anyone in that race. I'm running my own campaign" for re-election, which is his primary focus.
Ditzler said there was a misunderstanding only on Wellington's part.
Wellington said he served on a steering committee that helped Ditzler decide to run for the commissioner's position, but that's as far as he went.
"I assume it was a misunderstanding, but I told him I don't want to be on his letterhead anymore," Wellington said. "Because I was on his steering committee he thought I would be on his election committee."
Ditzler said he won't change his letterhead, which is already printed, and Wellington's name will remain on it.