Federal judge rejects Aey’s last-minute bid

YOUNGSTOWN — A federal judge has rejected a request from a disqualified write-in candidate for Mahoning County sheriff for a last-minute order prohibiting the county board of elections from counting votes cast in Tuesday’s sheriff’s race.

U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus also refused to grant David P. Aey’s request that he prohibit the board from denying Aey’s eligibility as a write-in candidate for sheriff pending resolution of the federal lawsuit Aey filed Tuesday afternoon.

Judge Economus’ order rejecting Aey’s request for the temporary restraining order came in the final hour before the polls closed and the board began counting votes on Tuesday evening.

Aey filed the federal lawsuit and asked for the TRO after the Ohio Supreme Court disqualified him as a candidate for sheriff on Oct. 24 and refused Aey’s request to clarify or reconsider its ruling on Friday.

At the request of incumbent Democratic Sheriff Randall Wellington, the Ohio Supreme Court disqualified Aey because it said Aey doesn’t meet the educational requirements for the job. That left Wellington as the unopposed Democratic incumbent on Tuesday’s general election ballot.

Read more in Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com