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13 file petitions for 2 commissioner seats
YOUNGSTOWN
Nine Democrats, a Republican and a Green Party candidate filed nominating petitions to succeed John McNally IV as a Mahoning County commissioner.
County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras said he’s “encouraged that this many [Democrats] have an interest in public service. I can’t recall this many candidates running for a seat. The party has a very open, inclusive process.”
Wednesday was the filing deadline for several county and state legislative positions. The primary is March 6.
McNally, of Youngstown, a two-term incumbent, isn’t seeking re-election when his term ends Jan. 2, 2013.
The Democrats who filed to succeed him are: Struthers Mayor Terry Stocker; Austintown Trustee David Ditzler; former Youngstown Councilman Jerome McNally (John’s cousin); Walter “Buzz” Pishkur of Boardman, director of business development for United Water and the former president and chief executive officer of Forum Health and Aqua Ohio; Joe Louis Teague of Youngstown, who’s run for several political positions; Richard Oz Ouzounian of Boardman, who operates a communications company; Domenic Delmonte of Austintown, a truck driver and heavy-equipment operator; Frank Bellamy of Youngstown, who was defeated last month for that city’s clerk-of-courts seat; and Patrick M. Chrystal of Youngstown.
The Republican candidate is David V. Rossi of Boardman, a retired Houston-area law-enforcement officer.
The Green Party candidate is Howard Markert of Youngstown, who owns a rental-property renovation business.
Anthony Traficanti of Poland, the other county commissioner up for re-election next year, is being challenged by James S. “Woody” Horvath of Campbell, a retired county deputy sheriff who operates Acme Bonding in Youngstown.
Besides the two commissioner seats, the other Democratic races with more than one candidate in the county are for sheriff, prosecutor, engineer and treasurer.
Republican Kimberly Poma, a Boardman school board member, is challenging state Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry, a Democrat from Austintown, in the 59th Ohio House District.
Meanwhile, candidates filed Wednesday for U.S. House seats based on the recommendation of the Ohio secretary of state’s office.
The recommendation to file by Wednesday came because of the uncertainty of a June 12 primary for U.S. House members and presidential candidates.
A dispute on U.S. House boundaries between state Democrats and Republicans resulted in the second primary.
A compromise hasn’t been struck though there still is a chance the two primaries could be merged into one in April or May.
As of now, a state law that takes effect Jan. 20, would invalidate the U.S. House candidates’ nominating petitions filed by Wednesday.
The filing deadline for U.S. House members would be March 14.
Two Democrats — John Stephen Luchansky of Boardman and Lisa Regula Meyer of Kent, neither of whom has held elected office — along with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Niles, filed for the new 13th Congressional District seat.
Also, Republican Marisha Agana of Howland filed.
In the 6th District, incumbent Bill Johnson of Marietta is being challenged in the Republican primary by Victor Smith of Waterford.
On the Democratic side, the candidates are ex-U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, who lost last year to Johnson, and Cas Adulewicz of Steubenville, who lost an Ohio House primary last year.
In Trumbull County, one of the most crowded fields in a long time — six candidates — will vie for the 64th Ohio House District held by Democrat Tom Letson of Warren.
In addition to the man who held the position before Letson, Republican Randy Law of Warren, Letson faces challenges from Democrats Sheila A. Calko and David C. Cook, both of Warren.
Other Republicans who filed for the seat are Albert H. Haberstroh Jr. of Southington and Roger M. Peterson Jr. of North Bloomfield. Haberstroh ran against Letson in November 2010.
Letson experienced some personal and financial issues a year ago, admitting himself for treatment of alcohol addiction in January and having a tax lien of $37,417 filed against him by the IRS in December 2010.
Trumbull County Commissioner Dan Polivka, a Democrat from Warren, will face a challenge from Republican John M. Hull of Hubbard, while the other incumbent, Paul Heltzel, a Democrat from Niles, has no opposition.
Only one person — Ronald J. Rice of Brookfield, the current Eastern District Court judge — filed to fill the seat to be vacated next year by longtime Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge John M. Stuard, who is retiring.
Rice, a Democrat, is married to Judge Cynthia Wescott Rice, a judge in the Warren-based 11th District Court of Appeals, which reviews decisions by lower-court judges in Trumbull County, including common pleas and county court judges.
Judge Richard L. James of the county Domestic and Family Court, a Republican from Warren, will be challenged by former state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, a Democrat who is now a member of the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
In Columbiana County, state Rep. Craig E. Newbold, a Republican from Columbiana, filed to run for a second two-year term. County Treasurer Nick Barborak of Lisbon is the only Democrat to file for the seat.
With Barborak not seeking re-election to treasurer, Linda Bolon, a former county treasurer and Ohio House member from Columbiana is the Democratic nominee. She’ll face Eldena J. Gearhart of Negley, a Republican, in next year’s general election.
The only primary in the county is for the Democratic nominee to be recorder with incumbent Craig Brown of Salem being challenged by Brenda Dickey Myers of Salem.
Five incumbents in Columbiana County — three Republicans and two Democrats — aren’t facing any opposition.
The deadline, as of now, to file to run as an independent candidate is March 5.