This year’s primary election is a yawner

By David Skolnick

Odd-year primary elections typically don’t attract much attention.

By odd-year I don’t mean strange, though some of the races can be.

Odd-year primaries are those ending in odd numbers, such as 2005, 2007 and 2009.

I’ve covered elections in the Mahoning Valley since 1995 — the first five years as a reporter in Trumbull County and the last nine as the newspaper’s politics writer.

There have been slow primary elections in the past.

But without a doubt, this upcoming primary is the slowest.

In comparison to last year’s historic presidential election, which saw numerous visits to the area by the candidates and prominent surrogates, any other political race is going to seem like a letdown.

In 2004, there were numerous visits to the Valley by John Kerry and John Edwards, the failed Democratic presidential-vice presidential ticket, and a huge rally by President George W. Bush.

The next year, the area had an intriguing Youngstown mayoral Democratic primary that saw Robert F. Hagan emerge from a crowded field. Hagan lost to Jay Williams in the 2005 general election with the latter running as an independent.

Even the 2007 election attracted interest.

Daniel Mamula, Struthers mayor for 16 years, lost his re-election bid to Terry Stocker.

Youngstown City Council went through a significant change with six new members elected to the seven-person legislative body.

Also, there was a successful campaign to make one of Mahoning County’s 0.5 percent sales taxes a permanent one, rather than have voters approve it every five years.

This May we have no countywide issues on the ballot in Mahoning, Trumbull or Columbiana.

Tax issue

There’s only one new tax issue in a community, Beloit, on the May 5 ballot. There are about a half-dozen new tax issues in school districts, including Liberty, Newton Falls and Leetonia.

Voters in Austintown, Canfield, Salem and Niles [excluding its 3rd Ward] have nothing on the ballot.

Boardman voters will only have electric and gas aggregation measures and two township renewal levies on the ballot.

In Poland, the only thing on the ballot is a renewal levy for the school district.

The lone mayoral primary in May in the Valley is the Democratic one in Youngstown between Jay Williams, the incumbent, and Frank Bellamy.

Chances are most of you haven’t heard of Bellamy.

If you know Bellamy at all, it’s because he posts a lot of messages on Vindy.com, he was disqualified as an independent candidate for a city council seat in 2007 because he voted in the Democratic primary after filing as an independent, and/or his 2000 conviction of a misdemeanor count of menacing for leaving an inappropriate message on the answering machine of former Councilman Artis Gillam Sr.

It’s kind to say Bellamy faces an uphill battle to defeat Williams in the primary.

Except for liquor options in Precinct 5I and 2D, there’s nothing else for Youngstown voters on the primary ballot.

Even council President Charles P. Sammarone faces no challenge in the Democratic primary.

Turnout in May primaries is pitiful statewide. It was less than 20 percent in 2007 in Mahoning County.

It would be shocking to even come close to that turnout percentage during the May 5 primary.

The strong early voting with lines out the doors of county boards of elections that the area experienced during the presidential election will be nonexistent in May.

But fear not, the November general election will be filled with races for township trustees and school board candidates.

Turnout in odd-year general elections is usually very low. But unlike May, most of us will at least have the opportunity to vote in November.