Valley incumbents seek re-election to Ohio House
YOUNGSTOWN
All incumbent Ohio House members who represent the Mahoning Valley are seeking another term in the 2012 election.
Dec. 7 is the deadline to file nominating petitions for the March 6, 2012, primary.
State Reps. Robert F. Hagan and Ronald V. Gerberry are filing nominating petitions today seeking re-election to the Ohio House.
Hagan, a Democrat from Youngstown, is seeking his fourth two-year term.
Because of the state’s term-limits law, he cannot run in the 2014 election if he wins next year’s race.
Also, with redistricting, Hagan’s district number will change after next year’s election from the 60th to the 58th.
Gerberry, a Democrat from Austintown, is running for his third two-year term.
Gerberry was appointed in January 2007 to the seat, allowing him to run again in 2014 if he is re-elected next year. His district number remains the 59th.
In Trumbull County, state Reps. Tom Letson and Sean O’Brien already have filed for re-election.
Letson, a Democrat from Warren, is seeking his fourth two-year term in 64th District. Republican Pat Paridon of Niles has filed nominating petitions for the seat.
O’Brien, a Democrat from Brookfield, is running for his second two-year term. Because of redistricting, O’Brien’s House District number will change after next year’s election from the 65th to the 63rd.
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd, plans to seek re-election next year to a four-year term, but hasn’t filed nominating petitions yet.
State Rep. Craig Newbold, a Republican from Columbiana, plans to run for a second two-year term. Columbiana County Treasurer Nick Barborak, a Democrat from Lisbon, will challenge Newbold.
The seat represents all of Columbiana County. With redistricting, the district number will move from the 1st to the 5th.
Meanwhile, March 16, 2012, is the deadline for U.S. House candidates to file nominating petitions for the June 12, 2012, primary. The second primary — which would also include the presidential primary — was created because Ohio Democrats are seeking a referendum on the November 2012 ballot questioning the fairness of the new U.S. House District boundaries.
Members of the state Legislature are attempting to resolve the issue and have only one primary. But time is running out.
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted is recommending U.S. House candidates file on or before the Dec. 7 deadline. As of Tuesday, no candidates have filed petitions to run in any of the three congressional districts that represent the Valley.