Hagan stands out in crowded House race

With seven Democratic candidates running in the May primary for the 60th Ohio House District seat, name recognition and a well-financed and well-run campaign are the keys to emerging victorious from the crowded field.
Some of the candidates enjoy strong name recognition and are politically tested. Others are political novices who probably don't realize what they've gotten themselves into.
When it comes to winning a crowded Democratic primary for an open seat, only state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown has the proven ability to do so.
He's also the only candidate in the primary who represents the entire 60th District. The 60th makes up one-third of Hagan's 33rd Ohio Senate District. Also, the senator represented much of the 60th during his 10 years in the state House.
Hagan has the strongest name recognition among the candidates, and will probably raise the most money. That combination helped Hagan win last year's Democratic Youngstown mayoral primary in a seven-man field.
In the Democratic primary, 64.91 percent of the votes are in Youngstown. Hagan is one of five 60th District candidates from Youngstown.
Dan Yemma, a Struthers councilman, is the only candidate from that city. Struthers makes up 14.02 percent of the 60th District Democratic vote.
Richard A. Gozur, Campbell Memorial High School principal and former city council vice president, is the only candidate from Campbell. That city makes up 10.2 percent of the 60th Democratic vote.
Nine precincts on the east side of Austintown make up 7.44 percent of the district's Democratic vote. Coitsville and Lowellville combined make up 3.43 percent of the district's Democratic vote.
With the Democratic primary two months away, the six other candidates are going to have to play catch-up to Hagan.
The House seat is open because the state's term limits law forbids Sylvester D. Patton Jr., a Youngstown Democrat, from seeking re-election this year. There are about 14 times as many registered Democrats than Republicans in the 60th so it's no surprise the GOP has no candidate in this race.
While Hagan has attributes that make him the favorite to win the primary, he also has some baggage.
Hagan lost last year's Youngstown mayoral race to Jay Williams, an independent. Hagan finished second in a six-person race, and a desperate attempt to discredit Williams the day before the election showed how disorganized his campaign was during the final days of that race.
Hagan can't run for re-election to the state Senate because of the term limits law. Seeking the House seat only a few months after losing the mayor's race is a bit too much for some voters to swallow.
Hagan may contend he is running to continue fighting for his constituents. But some observers say Hagan is running because he wants to remain a politician and doesn't care what the post is as long as it pays well.
Hagan could be vulnerable. But for him to lose in May, one of the six other candidates has to step forward and convince voters to support him. Getting other candidates out of the race and obtaining their endorsements would also be a big help.
This is the first time Ian Stublarec and Michael J. Latessa, both of Youngstown, are running for public office.
Latessa announced his candidacy in June 2005 in an attempt to get his name out. Latessa failed in achieving that goal. As for Stublarec, the recent college graduate is in way over his head.
Between his 30 years of experience in education and 14 years on council, Gozur is well-known in Campbell. But the city makes up such a small percentage of the House district and he is relatively unknown outside his hometown.
James E. Fortune Sr., who served on Youngstown council for 22 years, has the most elected experience of the seven candidates. But Fortune ran a poor campaign for mayor last year, finishing a distant fifth in the Democratic primary.
Yemma faces a challenge similar to Gozur. He is well-known in Struthers, serving his fourth term as the city's 3rd Ward councilman, and is relatively unknown in Youngstown.
But Yemma is getting support from Mahoning County Democrats, most notably party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini. He helped his name recognition somewhat during his failed effort last year to get appointed to the vacant county auditor position by Democratic precinct committee members.
Yemma also needs to raise a lot of money and spend it wisely if he wants to win.
Youngstown Councilman Rufus Hudson, who's represented the 2nd Ward for more than six years, may be the sleeper in this race.
Hudson is an outspoken politician who often asks tough questions. On the campaign trail, he'll be the one answering the tough questions and could emerge if he's got the right answers.