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Manning eyes commissioner seat
By DAVID SKOLNICK
YOUNGSTOWN
Who’s replacing Don Manning as the Republican candidate for Mahoning County commissioner?
The answer: Don Manning.
Manning announced July 9 that he was withdrawing from the commissioner race to join the campaign of Jim Graham, the Republican nominee for the 17th Congressional District. At the time, Manning, of North Lima, said it was “more important” to help Graham than run for county commissioner.
But at the urging of county Republican Chairman Mark Munroe, Manning never submitted a letter to the county board of elections officially withdrawing as the party’s commissioner candidate.
Munroe said the idea was to see if the party could find a suitable replacement, and if things changed for Manning, he could remain the Republican candidate for commissioner.
Munroe spoke to four potential replacements but said they all “decided the time wasn’t right for them” to run for office.
When Manning chose to withdraw, he had concerns about how much time he had to run for office, help Graham, of Cortland, and do his job as a jewelry business manager.
“Those concerns are eased,” Munroe said. “I always thought Don would be an outstanding candidate because he’s run for office before so he knows how to run a campaign and he has a strong commitment to the Mahoning Valley.”
Manning unsuccessfully ran for office twice: Trumbull County commissioner in 2002 and 17th Congressional District representative in 2006.
Manning will face Youngstown Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, the Democratic nominee, in the November general election. Rimedio-Righetti defeated David Ludt, a 12-year incumbent commissioner, in the May Democratic primary.