Wilson plans to run write-in campaign

March 13 is the write-in filing deadline.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
LISBON -- Kicked off the ballot, Charles A. Wilson Jr. plans to run what is sure to be an expensive write-in campaign to win the Democratic primary for the 6th Congressional District seat.
Meanwhile, one of the two certified Democratic candidates for the seat filed a protest against the candidacy of the other Democrat on the ballot.
The Columbiana County Board of Elections on Wednesday voted to disqualify Wilson's candidacy because he had just 46 valid signatures on his nominating petitions. Congressional candidates need valid signatures from 50 registered voters in their districts to get on the ballot.
Wilson had shied away from granting interviews about the signature issue, but on Friday, he conducted interviews with various media outlets to announce his decision to run as a write-in candidate in the May 2 Democratic primary.
"When it first happened, I was shocked," Wilson said.
The petitions
Wilson submitted nominating petitions with 96 signatures, but 43 were from residents of other congressional districts, and seven others were disqualified for other reasons leaving him four signatures shy of 50.
Jason Wilson, Wilson's son and then-campaign manager, was told Monday by election officials in Belmont County, where most of the petitions' signatures were obtained, that his father wouldn't qualify as a candidate. Even so, the older Wilson released a statement saying he was confident he had the needed 50 signatures.
"We were going on the advice of attorneys who felt some [signatures] could be certified," Wilson said. "I'm obviously disappointed in the outcome."
Wilson said his son is no longer his campaign manager, but "will continue to help us."
Wilson said the Democratic National Congressional Committee is sending him staffers to help his campaign.
He needs to submit a write-in form to the Columbiana County elections board by March 13. The only signature Wilson needs on the form is his own.
Wilson raised close to $500,000 for his campaign, more than half of it self-funded. While he would prefer to save the money for the general election, Wilson said he will spend it to inform voters about his write-in candidacy.
"This week's disqualification debacle has exposed write-in candidate Charlie Wilson's profound ignorance and his organization's woeful incompetence," said Ed Patru, a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman.
Absentee ballots
The May primary is the first election in Ohio that will permit voters to cast absentee ballots without an excuse. Wilson said he will encourage people to use that process.
"We plan to use direct mail and TV to educate voters as much as we can," Wilson said. "We believe it's not money wasted. If we do this, we can go into the general election stronger."
Wilson said his write-in form will list him as "Charlie Wilson." Any name close to "Charlie Wilson" or just "Wilson" will count as votes, and spelling doesn't count, said James Lee, a spokesman for the Ohio Secretary of State's office. County elections boards will make decisions on any questionable names listed on the write-in line, Lee added.
Wilson's write-in decision could lead to delays in getting results on primary election night, said Joyce Kale-Pesta, Mahoning County elections board deputy director. The secretary of state's office expects the county boards to count the write-in votes that night.
In the 2002 Democratic primary, the last primary election in the 6th District held the same night as statewide elections as is the case this year, about 50,000 people voted.
Protest
Also Friday, John Stephen Luchansky of Boardman, one of the Democrats on the 6th District primary ballot, filed a protest against his Democratic competitor Bob Carr of Wellsville.
Some people, including Dennis Johnson, the Columbiana County Democratic chairman, said Carr gave them the impression that he was a former congressman from Michigan. It took a reporter about 30 minutes to get Carr to admit he isn't the former nine-term congressman earlier this month.
Because of that, Luchansky questioned if Carr has the "credibility and mental competency" to run for the seat. Carr said when he realized people were confused about his past, he did his best to clear it up.
skolnick@vindy.com