Only 2 remain in commission race

The incumbent and the former Youngstown mayor are left on the ballot.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Half the Mahoning County commissioner candidates have quit the race.
James Vivo of Canfield, an attorney and former county board of elections employee, and Thomas W. Carney of Boardman, a retired operating engineer, submitted letters to the elections board withdrawing from the May 2 Democratic primary.
That leaves Commissioner David Ludt of Poland, a two-term incumbent, and former Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey as the only Democrats in the race.
No Republicans filed for this seat. Independent candidates have until May 1, the day before the primary to file nominating petitions for the November general election.
Vivo and Carney both filed a week ago to run.
"I just didn't think I can juggle a four-way race, a [law] practice and a family," Vivo said.
Carney couldn't be reached to comment.
The elections board met Thursday to certify the May 2 ballot.
The board voted to remove Anthony A. Caldwell of Youngstown as a candidate for Democratic state central committeeman and for precinct committeeman because he failed to sign the circulator portion of his petitions.
Left running
Those left running for the state central committeeman post are state Reps. John Boccieri of New Middletown and Sylvester D. Patton Jr. of Youngstown, the incumbent, as well as county Commissioner John A. McNally of Youngstown, and Andy Hamady of Poland, president of the Democrats of the 17th and 6th Districts political club.
The board also disqualified 27 Republican precinct committee candidates and 6 other Democrats for reasons including filing in the wrong precinct, not being registered voters and not enough valid signatures.
Ten Republican candidates were disqualified because they are registered Democrats.
Notable disqualification
Among the notable committee member candidates disqualified is Michael G. Clarett of Youngstown, a field representative for the Ohio Secretary of State's Office.
Clarett, a Republican, put the wrong precinct on his nominating petition.
"It's a small error," he said. "I should have been more careful, but I've got a whole lot of things going on."
The board threw Clarett off the ballot in 1999 as a Republican precinct committeeman candidate because he listed the wrong precinct number on his nominating form. For the record, Clarett lives in Youngstown Precinct 7B.
Also in 1999, Clarett was disqualified as a Youngstown school board candidate because he didn't follow the legal procedures for circulating petitions.
The board also disqualified John M. Luklan of Poland Township as a Democratic precinct committeeman because he failed to put his address on his nominating petition.
Elections board member Michael Morley, who voted to disqualify Luklan, said the Poland man is his stockbroker.
Liquor options out
The board also disqualified seven liquor options because they didn't have enough valid signatures.
Six of the seven are for the Westford development in Canfield Township Precinct 3. The other is for the Trojan Horse in Sebring.
Also at Thursday's meeting, the board hired Sam Matheny as a full-time board clerk with an annual salary of $34,273. He has worked on and off at the board since September 2005.
skolnick@vindy.com