Sunday, February 24, 2008
A profile of candidates running in each of the Democratic primary contests for Mahoning County offices.
An (*) denotes the incumbent.
COMMISSIONERS
MARY LYDEN
Age: 63.
Home: Canfield.
Education: Cardinal Mooney High School, 1962; Choffin School of Practical Nursing.
Employment: Retired nurse and real estate agent.
Family: Husband, J. Robert Lyden; daughter, Laurie A. Lyden.
Priorities: Solving the crime problem; promoting economic development.
JOHN A. MCNALLY IV*
Age: 38.
Home: Youngstown.
Education: Ursuline High School, 1987; Georgetown University, bachelor of science, 1991; Cleveland Marshall College of Law, law degree and master of public administration, 1996.
Employment: Mahoning County commissioner; lawyer in private practice.
Family: Wife, Virginia; daughters, Cara, 4, and Casey, 2.
Priorities: Improving the county’s criminal justice system; promoting a charter form of government; ensuring responsible spending of tax dollars; consolidating 911 dispatching.
ERIC C. UNGARO
Age: 38.
Home: Poland.
Education: Ursuline High School, 1988; Youngstown State University, bachelor of science, 2003; Westminster College, master’s degree, 2006.
Employment: Special education teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator for Howland schools.
Family: Wife, Nanette; daughters, Gina, 8, and Carly, 6.
Priorities: Economic development; crime and drug abuse prevention.
ANTHONY T. TRAFICANTI*
Age: 42.
Home: Poland.
Education: Poland Seminary High School; bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Youngstown State University.
Employment: Mahoning County commissioner.
Family: Father, Sam; mother, Barbara; sister, Jacki.
Priorities: Continued solvency and improvement of county government; keeping the criminal justice system viable; performance audits for agencies requesting tax levies.
TREASURER
JOHN SHULTZ
Age: 56.
Home: Boardman.
Education: Chaney High School, 1969; Youngstown State University, bachelor’s degree, 1973; Capital University, law degree, 1976.
Employment: Lawyer in private practice.
Family: Son, Christopher; daughter, Ashley.
Priorities: Bring accounting and investment expertise into the treasurer’s office; improve taxpayer assistance; and collection of delinquent real estate taxes.
LISA A. ANTONINI*
Age: 38.
Home: Youngstown.
Education: Ursuline High School, 1987; bachelor’s degree in economics from Youngstown State University, 1992.
Employment: Mahoning County treasurer.
Family: Single.
Priorities: Collecting current and delinquent real estate taxes; returning vacant tax delinquent land to productive use; community outreach and taxpayer education; foreclosure prevention.
PROSECUTOR
HEIDI HANNI
Age: 44.
Home: Boardman.
Education: Boardman High School, 1981; bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University, 1997; law degree from Capital University, 2000.
Employment: Private law practice.
Family: Father, Atty. Don L. Hanni Jr.; mother, Leila M. Roberts; son, Robert E. Wolff; daughter, Lyndsy M. Wolff.
Priorities: Reduction of drug trafficking and other crime; crime victim assistance; thorough investigation of criminal cases before indictment; expedited criminal prosecutions; improvement of child support enforcement; procurement of federal reimbursement for child support prosecutions.
PAUL J. GAINS*
Age: 56.
Home: Boardman.
Education: Ursuline High School, 1969; Ohio Peace Officer Training, 1974; bachelor’s degree in law enforcement administration from Youngstown State University, 1976; law degree from the University of Akron, 1982.
Employment: Mahoning County prosecutor since 1997.
Family: Brother, Randy Gains.
Priorities: To continue working with county common pleas court judges to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system and to maintain integrity and competence in representing the county and its townships in civil matters.