Trumbull races heating up

Staff report

Vincent Flask, a seven-year member of Warren City Council, is looking to unseat two-term legislator Tom Letson for the Democratic nomination as 64th Ohio House representative.

The district covers Warren, Cortland, West Farmington and the townships of Howland, Champion, Warren, Braceville, Southington, Farmington, Vernon, Mecca, Bristol and parts of Mesopotamia, Fowler and Bazetta.

Flask says he received the Democratic Party’s endorsement to the position over Letson for the same reason he can win the position in the May 4 primary: “I will outwork my opponent in Columbus and in my campaign.”

The winner of the primary faces Republican Albert Haberstroh of Southington in the general election. Habertstroh did not provide The Vindicator with any information about himself.

Flask said one of his biggest complaints about Letson is the legislation he co-sponsored that allows gas drilling as close as 150 feet from a home in urban areas.

Flask said Letson’s support for the legislation, approved by the Legislature two weeks ago, hurts homeowners.

Letson, however, says the legislation creates a larger buffer than what is in place now and requires the state to hire inspectors to look at abandoned gas wells to ensure that they are not polluting the environment.

Letson said he believes he didn’t get the party endorsement simply because 45 of the 125 members of the central committee did not attend the endorsement meeting, not because he’s not a hard worker. Letson, 55, of Warren, is an attorney.

Four Democrats and one Republican are running to replace Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles for the 65th Ohio House district, which serves Girard, Hubbard, Niles and Newton Falls; the townships of Brookfield, Hartford, Hubbard, Liberty, Newton, Vienna, Weathersfield and parts of Bazetta and Fowler; and the villages of Lordstown, McDonald and Orangeville.

Stabile Harwood was not eligible to run again because of Ohio’s term-limit law.

Democrat candidates are Michael V. Boccia and Edward D. Stredney of Niles, Sean J. O’Brien of Brookfield and John D. Williams of Liberty.

The winner of the Democratic primary faces Geno Capone of Hubbard in the general election.

O’Brien, a private-practice attorney and assistant Trumbull County prosecutor for Eastern District Court, Brookfield, said his knowledge of Ohio laws will enable him to be an effective legislator.

“I’m the only attorney in the race,” he said. “I live and breathe the Ohio Revised Code.”

O’Brien said improving educational opportunities in Trumbull County to better prepare the work force for high-tech jobs will be a high priority for him.

Williams is a pilot for United Airlines but plans to take a leave of absence from the job if elected to the Legislature. He has also spent 30 years in the Air Force Reserve.

One of greatest assets Williams brings to the job of legislator is “the ability to think in real time and make decisions,” he said.

Boccia, Stredney and Capone did not provide The Vindicator with any information about themselves.