Friday, February 20, 2009
No Republicans filed in Mahoning County.
STAFF REPORT
Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams has only one opponent in the Democratic primary.
Williams, elected in 2005 as an independent, will face Frank Bellamy in the May 5 primary.
If Williams is re-elected, the city charter prohibits him from seeking a third four-year term as mayor.
Bellamy was disqualified as an independent candidate for the city’s 1st Ward council position in 2007 because he voted in the Democratic primary after filing as an independent.
“There is an opponent, and we’ll run an effective, high-spirited campaign,” Williams said. “I plan to go door to door as I did the last time. I intend to campaign vigorously.”
Council President Charles P. Sammarone, a Democrat, faces no challenge in the primary.
Also, no Republicans filed as candidates for the primary in Mahoning County.
The only seats open in the county primary are in Youngstown, Struthers and the village of Poland. Those who run for village council in Poland typically file as independents.
The deadline for candidates to file as independents in those three communities is May 4, the day before the primary.
“It’s a challenge to find Republican challengers” in Youngstown and Struthers, said Mark Munroe, Mahoning County GOP vice chairman. “Our focus is on the township races and the 2010 election.”
Township offices are nonpartisan, but the political parties get involved in some of those races.
In Warren, former Mayor Dan Sferra will enter a four-person race for three at-large positions on city council, challenging incumbent Democrats Helen Rucker and Bob Dean, plus challenger William V. Kruppa.
The other sitting at-large councilman, Dan Crouse, who won his current seat as an independent, said he will run again in the fall as an independent.
The busiest ward race will be the third, where incumbent Andy Barkley will face challengers John Brown and Emmanuel N. Michelakis in the Democratic primary.
In Hubbard, each of the four Democratic ward council members will face opposition in the primary.
Four Trumbull County schools will seek additional money — Liberty, Weathersfield, Newton Falls and Southington — while Maplewood and Bristol will seek renewals.
In Salem, the only primary race is between Democrat Randall Colian of Salem who will face three incumbents for council at-large.
In Columbiana, with three council seats open, Bryan Blakeman was the only candidate who filed. The mayor’s office also is open, but no one filed to run.