Elections board sends Traficant case to Columbus

Supporters of Jim Traficant’s bid to run as an independent candidate for the 17th District Congressional seat held by Democrat Tim Ryan of Niles considered it a victory that the Trumbull County Board of Elections today refused to certify new petition numbers.

The 2-2 vote — with former county Democratic Party Chairman Chris Michelakis and former Trumbull County Republican Party Chairman Craig Bonar voting no — means Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Bruner will be asked to break the tie.

Kelly Pallante, Trumbull County Board of Elections director, said revised numbers from various elections boards show Traficant is 31 signatures short of having enough to get on the ballot in November.

Werner Lange of Newton Falls, a Traficant supporter, pleaded with the board to refuse to certify the current petition numbers, saying there are still too many unanswered questions regarding signatures that were ruled invalid.

The Trumbull elections board might have another meeting later this month to beat the Aug. 24 deadline for the November slate of candidates to be set, Pallante said.