Reps. Ryan, Wilson face weak challengers

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U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles

Republicans have candidates for congressional seats held by U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan and Charlie Wilson, but neither appear to be serious threats to the Democratic incumbents.

Duane V. Grassell of Mogadore, a teacher in the Akron area, will run against Ryan of Niles in the 17th Congressional District race. Grassell unsuccessfully ran for a school board seat in his hometown in 2003, finishing last in a three-person race for two positions.

Richard Stobbs of Dillonvale, a deputy recorder with the Franklin County Recorder’s Office, will run as a Republican for the 6th Congressional District seat held by Wilson of St. Clairsville.

Stobbs finished dead last among four Republican candidates in the 2006 primary for this same seat. He also ran for Belmont County sheriff in 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988, losing every time except in 1980.

It’s not surprising that Republicans can’t find a strong candidate to challenge Ryan, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, who’ll be running next year for his fourth two-year term. The district is one of the most Democratic in the state, taking in portions of Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage and Summit counties.

Ryan has quickly risen in the national Democratic ranks, is well-liked and can raise a lot of money.

Competitive district

But the 6th District is one in which Republicans should be competitive. It takes in 12 counties including all of Columbiana and a portion of Mahoning. It also includes several rural Appalachian counties that lean Republican.

Yet the best the Republicans can find to challenge Wilson, a House freshman, is Stobbs, who received only 8 percent of the vote from his own party in the 2006 primary.

Wilson is willing to spend a lot of his own money to run, as he showed in 2006, and has solid name recognition. However, he’s still a one-term congressman who hasn’t done anything monumental to make him a lock for re-election in a district that isn’t as Democratic as the 17th.

Republicans have candidates running in two of the three Ohio House seats that represent Mahoning County. Dick McCarthy, a Boardman financial consultant, is challenging state Rep. Ronald Gerberry of Austintown for the 59th District seat. Kirk Susany, a Beaver Township contractor, will take on state Rep. Mark Okey of Carrollton for the 61st District seat. McCarthy and Susany have never run for political office.

Mahoning Republicans also found a pair of political newcomers to run for the two commissioner seats up for election in 2008. They are Lisa Lotze of North Lima, a mental health counselor, and Chris McCarty of Boardman, the head of a national high school speaking program.

Also, Jeanette Garr of Canfield, a Youngstown State University professor, will run for county recorder.

As for county prosecutor, sheriff, engineer, coroner, clerk of courts and treasurer, Republicans have failed at this point to find candidates. The filing deadline is Jan. 4.

The inability to find a treasurer candidate is the most surprising because the person holding that seat is Lisa Antonini of Austintown, the county Democratic Party chairwoman.

Antonini had planned to temporarily relinquish her responsibilities as chair to focus on retaining the treasurer’s seat in anticipation of opponents in the Democrat primary and the general election. She’s waiting until the filing deadline to decide what she’ll do. If there’s no opponents, she won’t have to step back from her chairwoman duties.

Judicial races

Republicans haven’t won a nonjudicial countywide seat in 23 years, but are optimistic about their chances in 2008.

It also looks like Republicans won’t have candidates running for the two 7th District Court of Appeals judicial seats and a common pleas position, currently held by Judge Jack Durkin, on the ballot.

In return, Democrats probably won’t have anyone challenging two Republican common pleas judges, R. Scott Krichbaum and Maureen Sweeney.