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Letson to seek seat on Ohio Supreme Court
WARREN
State Rep. Tom Letson of Warren is running next year for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court and already has received the endorsement of the Ohio Democratic Party’s executive committee.
“I’ve been talking about it for a bit and finally decided that the best idea would be to run for the Ohio Supreme Court,” said Letson, D-64th, who will finish his fourth two-year term in the Ohio House at the end of next year.
Because of the state’s term-limits law, he cannot run for re-election in 2014.
Letson told The Vindicator on Nov. 22 that he was giving serious consideration to running in 2016 for the Ohio Senate 32nd District seat in what would be an open race then. But then decided to seek the court position.
Letson would run against Justice Sharon Kennedy, a Republican elected last year to fill an unexpired two-year term.
Letson has served as an attorney for 25 years as well as an acting Warren Municipal Court judge for about eight to 10 years and an assistant prosecutor in Newton Falls for five years.
Letson is a recovering alcoholic who said he’s been sober for three years.
“I’m pleased to face my medical conditions and address them,” Letson said. “I’m not running away from any of my past. I have a tendency to answer people’s questions as they are asked. Whether it will come into people’s minds, I don’t know.”
In late 2010, the IRS filed a tax lien against him for about $37,000 related to his 2006 tax return, and he got behind on his property taxes earlier that year, but resolved that in December 2010 when he paid $1,044 — $940 for his first-half taxes and the rest in a late penalty.
While the tax issues are resolved, Letson faces a misdemeanor charge filed by Warren city officials for violating the zoning code.
Letson owns a house on Foster Street Northeast in a single-family residentially zoned neighborhood that is being used as a “sober house” for recovering alcoholics.
That use requires zoning for a rooming house, city officials say. The charge was filed in August.
When asked if these issues would impact voters, Letson said, “I think people care about any issues that affect their lives.”
Letson sought and received the endorsement of the Ohio Democratic Party’s executive committee Saturday in Columbus.
Jerid Kurtz, the party’s spokesman, said Letson was the only candidate at the committee meeting to seek the endorsement for the seat.
As for Letson’s past and current issues, Kurtz referred comment to the candidate.
Chris Schrimpf, the Ohio Republican Party spokesman, said of Letson’s candidacy, “The Democratic Party makes you scratch your head at some of the decisions they make. Coming from the Republican Party, we thank them.”
State Sen. Eric Kearney of Cincinnati, D-9th, withdrew last week as the party’s lieutenant governor candidate because of controversy surrounding about $825,000 in unpaid taxes owed by him, his wife and their businesses.
Schrimpf said his criticism of Letson has nothing to do with his “battle with alcoholism. He should certainly be commended for that.”
Also at Saturday’s meeting, the Democratic Party’s executive committee endorsed Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown for next year’s open Ohio House 58th District seat.
Her husband, Robert, cannot run in 2014 because of the state’s term-limits law.
The decision to endorse Lepore-Hagan, who didn’t attend the meeting, was made by Ohio House Democratic leaders.
No endorsement was made in the open race for Letson’s seat.
The committee also endorsed the incumbent state legislators from the Mahoning Valley running next year for re-election.
They include state Reps. Ronald V. Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th; Sean O’Brien of Brookfield, D-63rd; and Nick Barborak of Lisbon, D-5th; as well as Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd.