If there was a Reader's Digest condensed version of the Mahoning County prosecutor's race, it would

If there was a Reader's Digest condensed version of the Mahoning County prosecutor's race, it would read:
"Prosecutor Paul J. Gains thinks Brad Gessner, his Democratic challenger, has questionable integrity, to say the least, because he worked under former Prosecutor James Philomena, who's in jail for fixing cases. Gessner thinks Gains is a poor prosecutor whose inability has led to criminals either receiving plea bargains or being allowed to walk the streets. Oh, by the way, they can't stand each other."
Gessner initially made it known last summer that he was challenging Gains in the March 2 Democratic primary. He promised an aggressive campaign that would focus on what he saw as Gains' deficiencies.
Gessner blasted Gains for permitting his assistant prosecutors to have private practices, and took a shot at the county prosecutor, saying Gains "spends more time in a bar room than a courtroom."
Gains didn't waste any time firing back.
Gains questioned how Gessner could not have been aware of the case fixing that was commonplace when Philomena was county prosecutor. Gains said he knew about it, so how couldn't Gessner, who worked for Philomena for seven and a half years.
Gains said Gessner's credibility, or lack thereof, should be an important campaign issue. Gains said his own credibility can't be questioned. After all, he survived a December 1996 shooting ordered by the local mob because they were concerned he couldn't be bought off like Philomena.
Gessner said Gains uses the shooting as a crutch to make up for his shortcomings.
This went back and forth for awhile, and then around November, there was nothing. That is understandable, because there was an election that month, which took the spotlight away from the March 2004 primary.
In December, it appeared as though Gessner's campaign had come to a halt. Gessner has to run an aggressive campaign if he wants to knock off an incumbent, who has strong name recognition and will probably outspend him.
It looked as though the race was over before it really got started. Then things started to heat up again this month, and show no sign of cooling down.
The two have participated in candidate forums, using the time to blast each other.
Also, two organizations have made it clear that they aren't thrilled with Gains, which helps Gessner's campaign.
The Greater Youngstown AFL-CIO Labor Council, the largest union organization in the county, endorsed Gessner. Besides Sheriff Randall Wellington, Gains was the only incumbent not to receive the AFL-CIO endorsement.
Perhaps more damaging to Gains was the decision by the Boardman Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 43 to endorse Gessner. In his capacity as county prosecutor, Gains also serves as Boardman's law director.
When Gains heard about the endorsement, he called township Trustee Thomas Costello, and asked him to let the local FOP know that it couldn't publicize its support of Gessner. That's because Boardman police officers are civil service employees and under state law their involvement in partisan political activities is restricted.
Gains, who received the support of the Youngstown FOP, said he issued the warning because he didn't want Boardman police officers to jeopardize their jobs. Gessner had a tough time believing that was Gains' motivation.
The Boardman FOP found a way around any perceived violation of state law. It had Dale L. Chambers, its treasurer, release the letter to the media. Chambers is a retired officer so he doesn't have to worry about civil service ramifications.
The letter states that the FOP doesn't typically make endorsements, but felt that it needed to in this race. The letter states that the membership is displeased and disappointed with the current prosecutor.
"There is a lack of a professional and aggressive approach toward criminal prosecution," the letter reads. "This approach has led to a disproportionate amount of cases having reduced charges by way of plea bargain, having charges dismissed, or having charges not filed entirely all together."
This certainly is a race to watch.