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7th District Court of Appeals judge files for re-election
YOUNGSTOWN
Judge Cheryl L. Waite filed nominating petitions to seek a fourth six-year term on the 7th District Court of Appeals.
Waite, the first female judge on that court, turned in her petitions Monday to the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
Her committee will have a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 2 at Caffe Capri, 8000 Market St. in Boardman.
Judge Waite, first elected to the court of appeals in 1996, could face a Democratic primary challenger.
Mark A. Hanni, who lost the 2012 general election for an appeals seat, is considering a run for that seat.
Another position on the four-person 7th District Court of Appeals also is on this year’s ballot.
Youngstown Deputy Law Director Anthony Donofrio has announced plans to run for the seat, currently held by Judge Joseph J. Vukovich, who is retiring rather than seek a fourth six-year term.
Others considering bids for the Democratic nomination include Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains and former county Commissioner David Engler.
Judge Carol Robb of Columbiana County Municipal Court is the only Republican who’s announced her candidacy for the Judge Vukovich seat.
She was first elected to her judicial position in 2005 and re-elected two months ago in an unopposed race.
Feb. 5 is the deadline for candidates to file for the May primary.
The district includes Mahoning, Columbiana, Belmont, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble counties.
Mahoning is the most-populous county in the district, and all four current judges are from there.
In Trumbull County, the probate-court judge position is attracting interest.
Judge Thomas Swift, a Republican, cannot seek re-election this year because of the state’s age-limits law.
William M. Flevares, an attorney whose focus for the past 15 years is on probate law, announced he will run in the Democratic primary for the seat.
Also, attorneys Patricia Leopardi Knepp and James Fredericka (the latter is also on the Warren Civil Service Commission) have filed designations with the county board of elections to run as Democrats for the probate position.