Brown opts out of race

An advocacy committee is needed to help independent candidates, Brown said.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Citing lack of time to foster a successful campaign, an independent candidate for Mahoning County commissioner has withdrawn from the race.
Jamael Tito Brown, a city school board member, filed petitions in May to run as an independent in the November election. Commissioner David Ludt is the Democrat in the race, vying for a third term.
In a written statement, Brown said that upon his filing, he expected the Mahoning County Board of Elections to certify his candidacy within 30 days. That certification didn't come until July, more than 60 days after his filing, Brown said.
That delay caused him to put activities, such as forming a campaign committee, on hold.
He said he believes the certification process is an example of the need for an advocate or a political action committee representing independent candidates in Mahoning County.
Quotable
"If any change is to be affected in the certification process, it will require members of this community stepping forward and demanding that every candidate receives an equal opportunity," Brown said.
He said that he still thinks there's a need for stronger leadership in the county, but after speaking with his family, he's determined it wouldn't be fair to the voters to continue with the campaign with only three months before Election Day.
Earlier this month, Brown, who was Mayor Jay Williams' campaign manager, was appointed executive director of the city's Human Relations Commission and said at that time that he was unsure if he'd continue in the commissioners' race.
Brown said that he plans to remain active in politics.