Republicans need to work harder to make party viable in Valley

Republicans need to work harder to make party viable in Valley

I am writing to send out an SOS to the Republicans in Mahoning County, and to those otherwise disenfranchised by their local leadership and are looking for a legitimate alternative.

I think it goes without saying that the Republican Party needs your help here in this county. For those who are hesitant or are frustrated with the inability to win any partisan race here, I understand your frustrations. But I am going to ask you to push aside every perception you have had about this inability to win races, because we do need help: help for our candidates and help to make this county a better place. We have won county and city races in the past, and with your help, I believe we can do it again.

Energy spent complaining about the present circumstances in Mahoning County is wasted. We would much rather see people spending their energy volunteering and helping local candidates rather than wrongly accepting and complaining about how Republicans cannot win here.

I would challenge you to first vote in your primary as a Republican. A first step we need to take is to identify who Republican voters are here in the county, and as long as we continue to have substantial numbers of “Democrats in Name Only”, we cannot identify who you are. Second, we need volunteers as much as we need financial backing. One hour of sweat equity making phone calls or knocking on doors is as important as a small donation. We have some great candidates running locally and for state and federal seats, and a mere hour or two (or more) of your time can make all the difference.

I ask you to believe as I do that Republicans can be a force in the Mahoning Valley again. The odds are against us because we’ve talked ourselves into believing that — rather than being proactive.

ALEX MANGIE

Canfield