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Win points mayor's sight to future
Independent candidates for Youngstown mayor and council president are expected to be disqualified.
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — Not only did Mayor Jay Williams breeze to an easy victory in the Democratic primary, but it also looks like smooth sailing for him in the November general election.
Williams received 88.3 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary beating Frank Bellamy, who barely made it into double-digits.
“I’m truly appreciative and humbled by the results,” Williams said.
It appears Williams won’t face an opponent — unless someone files as a write-in candidate.
That’s because the Mahoning County Board of Elections is expected to disqualify Cecil B. Monroe of Highlawn Avenue, who filed Monday as an independent candidate.
Monroe turned in nominating petitions with 72 signatures. He couldn’t be reached Tuesday to comment.
Some employees at the board of elections were under the incorrect impression that an independent candidate for a Youngstown citywide race needs only 25 valid signatures on nominating petitions to be eligible.
Actually, candidates in Youngstown citywide elections need the valid signatures of at least 1 percent of the total votes cast in the previous gubernatorial general election, according to the 2009 Ohio Candidate Requirement Guide distributed by the Ohio secretary of state’s office.
That works out to be 138 in Youngstown.
After the confusion was brought to the attention of board officials and employees Tuesday by The Vindicator, Director Thomas McCabe confirmed that 138 valid signatures and not 25 are needed to run citywide in Youngstown.
“This will give me the opportunity to not campaign and concentrate 100 percent on the issues of safety, economic development, strengthening the neighborhoods and positioning the city in a favorable light on the state and national levels,” said Williams, who raised the question of valid signatures to the newspaper.
The confusion over the number of valid signatures also means that Joe Louis Teague of Alameda Avenue, also is expected to be disqualified as a council president candidate by the board.
Like Monroe, Teague turned in petitions with 72 signatures.
Teague, who ran as an independent candidate for mayor four years ago, was livid when told by the newspaper that he would likely be disqualified.
Council President Charles Sammarone, a Democrat, ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary and has no other opposition in the general election.
Teague said he was told by a board of elections employee that he needed 25 valid signatures and could turn in petitions with no more than 75 signatures.
What could have led to the confusion is those running as independents for council seats in the city need only 25 valid signatures and can turn in petitions with up to 75 signatures.
Teague said he had another petition page with 18 other signatures and could have easily surpassed the 138 needed.
“They’re going to catch hell from me,” Teague said about election board employees. “If they give me the wrong information, why am I being victimized? It doesn’t make any sense. If they’re incompetent, why am I being victimized? They’re supposed to know this.”
Regardless of whatever information Teague and Monroe received, it’s the responsibility of candidates to know the law, said Ronald Massullo, regional liaison for the secretary of state.
“It falls on the shoulders of the candidates to know the requirements and make the right decisions,” he said.
skolnick@vindy.com