ELECTION UPDATE | Meacham and Rusu now ahead in their races

YOUNGSTOWN — With 60 percent of the vote counted in Mahoning County, the 0.75 percent sales tax is clinging to a 2.34 percentage point lead. Also, voters so far have strongly backed the county’s children service replacement levy and the library levy.

In county races, incumbent Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, a Democrat, is trailing Republican challenger Ralph Meacham by about 2.5 percentage points.

Also Probate Court Judge Robert Rusu is defeating challenger Susan Maruca, a Democrat, by about 4.3 percentage points.

In Youngstown, the anti-fracking Community Bill of Rights is on its way to fourth consecutive defeat, losing by 16 percentage points. Meanwhile, the ward-reduction charter amendment is up by about five and a half percentage points.

All Democratic Party statewide challengers are winning in the county, except for Ed FitzGerald, the party’s gubernatorial candidate, who is losing to incumbent Republican John Kasich by more than 10 percentage points.

Check Vindy.com for updates this evening