MAHONING REPUBLICANS Candidates named for judge seat



None of the three has held elected office.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Republican Party recommended three candidates to Gov. Bob Taft, who will appoint a person to replace retired Judge Robert Lisotto.
The three interviewed Wednesday by a six-member Mahoning Republican screening committee for the vacant seat on the common pleas court bench were attorneys Maureen Sweeney, Leonard Hall and Paul Scarsella.
Sweeney lost the 2002 Mahoning Probate Court race as a Republican against Democratic Judge Timothy Maloney.
Hall lost the 2000 Democratic primary to county Prosecutor Paul J. Gains, and switched his party affiliation to Republican during the March 2004 primary.
Paul Scarsella is a former assistant prosecutor in Franklin County who contemplated running for prosecutor this year as a Republican.
Mahoning Republicans were asked by Taft to give him three nominees for the seat.
Hard to find
Mark Munroe, Mahoning Republican vice chairman, admitted it was a bit of a challenge to find three candidates for the job. At least three other people expressed interest in the position, but opted not to seek the job.
"We were very impressed with the quality and variety of candidates, Munroe said. "The governor has a tough decision on his hands."
Under state law, the governor, a Republican in this case, is responsible for filling common pleas judicial vacancies. Judge Lisotto, who retired on a medical disability July 1, is a Democrat.
The person selected by Taft will be the Republican choice to run in the November general election. Mahoning Republican precinct committee members have until Aug. 18 to select their candidate for the November election. Taft is expected to appoint one of the three before then.
Judge Lisotto's term expires Jan. 1, 2009. The person who wins the November election will fill the remainder of his term.
Mahoning Democrats selected Judge Elizabeth Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court last week as the party's candidate in November for the seat.
skolnick@vindy.com

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