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Rematch set in 6th District
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Wilson
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Johnson
YOUNGSTOWN
It will be a rematch in November in the 6th Congressional District as U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a Republican, and Democrat Charlie Wilson cruised to easy victories in their party primaries.
“I’m looking forward to putting my record up against Charlie Wilson,” Johnson said. “There’s a big difference between Charlie Wilson and me.”
Johnson, of Marietta, said Wilson is for “bigger government, job-killing regulations and Obamacare,” what critics call the federal health-care law, supported by President Barack Obama.
Wilson, of St. Clairsville, said he will “be happy to compare voting records with Bill Johnson. There’s philosophical differences. His policies aren’t right for the area. We have to get back to job creation.”
Johnson and Wilson faced primary challenges Tuesday from candidates who spent little and didn’t do much campaigning in the 17-county district that includes all of Columbiana County and southern Mahoning County.
Both had an easy time Tuesday.
Johnson beat Victor Smith of Waterford, a former military officer and engineer. Wilson beat Cas Adulewicz, a Steubenville attorney.
The winners captured more than 80 percent of the vote in the primaries.
This sets up a rematch from the 2010 general election when Johnson, running for political office for the first time, beat Wilson, a two-term congressional incumbent who also spent 10 years in the state Legislature, by 5.04 percent.
Even with primary opposition, Johnson and Wilson have focused their attention and criticism on each other since the latter first told The Vindicator on Sept. 14 that he was giving serious consideration to running for the seat.
Wilson pointed to a recent poll by Public Policy Polling that shows a statistical dead-heat in his race with Johnson.
Johnson will have a March 22 fundraiser in Columbiana County with Speaker of the House John Boehner as the guest speaker. When asked Tuesday about the event, which he touted in a Jan. 26 email to supporters, he first avoided speaking about it, and when pressed further, he declined to comment.
Wilson said Johnson votes nearly lock-step with fellow Republicans and wondered why his opponent “wouldn’t want to talk about” the Boehner event.