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Write-in winning not common
Three filed to run as write-ins.
YOUNGSTOWN — It’s one of the hardest things for a candidate: win a county seat or a position in Congress as a write-in candidate.
“It’s so rare and so much the exception to the rule,” said Paul Sracic, chairman of Youngstown State University’s political science department.
“You need a lot of money and a large organization,” he added. “It’s particularly difficult in presidential years because it’s hard to get people’s attention for down-ticket races.”
Even so, three candidates filed by Wednesday’s deadline to run for elected positions in the Mahoning Valley.
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David Aey
UDavid P. Aey, 4016 Shelby Road in Boardman, for Mahoning County sheriff. Randall Wellington of Youngstown is the incumbent.
UDennis S. Spisak, 548 Poland Ave. in Struthers, for the 6th Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville is the incumbent.
UDavid C. Cook, 537 Fenton Court in Niles, for Trumbull County commissioner. Paul Heltzel of Niles is the incumbent.
All three incumbents are Democrats.
The Mahoning County Board of Elections will meet next week to determine if Aey is qualified to run for the seat.
Aey was disqualified from running in the March Democratic primary for sheriff.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Aey didn’t have the needed two years of supervisory experience at the rank of corporal or above to qualify for the position.
To qualify, a candidate has to have that experience or at least two years of post-secondary education from an accredited college or university.
Aey said he has 66 credit hours of post-secondary education, making him now eligible to run.
Aey failed to provide the elections board with documentation regarding his education experience.
Board Director Thomas McCabe said Wednesday he was mistaken when he said a day earlier Aey’s filing was incomplete without the educational information.
But he and board Vice Chairman Mark Munroe said Aey would have to produce that information to the board to qualify as a candidate.
As for winning as a write-in, Aey said it would be challenging, but he’s confident he can achieve his goal.
Spisak was disqualified from running in the November election as an independent for the Ohio 60th District seat because of problems with his nominating petitions.
Spisak, a Struthers school board member, has set his goals even higher. He’s running as a write-in for the 6th Congressional District seat. The district represents 12 counties, including all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning.
Wilson won the 2006 Democratic primary as a write-in, defeating two lesser-known candidates. He spent $500,000 of his own money on the race. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $600,000 to help him.
Spisak acknowledges he can’t come close to spending what Wilson did two years ago.
He expects to get his name out through media interviews and candidate forums.
“It’s a big task,” he said of winning as a write-in.
Cook ran in 2002 for commissioner against James G. Tsagaris, then the incumbent, in the Democratic primary. Cook did no campaigning and received 46 percent of the vote.
skolnick@vindy.com