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Three attorneys are running for the 32nd Ohio Senate District seat next year
WARREN
A political newcomer will be the first candidate to file nominating petitions in next year’s race for the 32nd Ohio Senate District.
Kristen F. Rock, an attorney from Liberty who practices in Pennsylvania, said she’s filing her petitions today with the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
“I’ve been really interested in politics in general, and with Capri term-limited, I decided to run,” said Rock, a Democrat.
She was referring to state Sen. Capri Cafaro, a Democrat from Liberty, who cannot seek re-election in 2016 because of the state’s term-limits law. Cafaro doesn’t plan to run for a political office next year.
Before becoming a lawyer in 2003, Rock said she worked for the Ohio Department of Development’s International Trade Division in Columbus where she counseled business representatives on opportunities to increase the sale of Ohio-made products and services through exporting.
State Rep. Sean O’Brien of Bazetta, D-63rd, and former Rep. Tom Letson, a Democrat from Warren, who represented the 64th Ohio House District for eight years, previously have announced they are running for the seat next year.
O’Brien, a three-term House incumbent, said he’ll file his petitions shortly.
“We’re going to run our race based on our experience and our record and what we’ve accomplished,” said O’Brien, also an attorney who is a former Trumbull County assistant prosecutor.
Letson, who’s also an attorney, said he’s filing Wednesday, the last day to turn in nominating petitions to run in the March 15 primary.
Letson served eight years in the state House, leaving at the end of 2014 because of term limits. He unsuccessfully ran last year for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Cafaro said she isn’t endorsing in the Senate race, but added, “I think it’s great a woman’s running.”
Cafaro was appointed in 2007 to the seat to replace Marc Dann, who resigned after being elected Ohio attorney general. Cafaro was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012.
Trumbull is the largest county in the Democratic-leaning 32nd District that also includes Ashtabula County and a portion of Geauga County.
No Republicans have announced plans to run for the position.
With O’Brien vacating the 63rd District seat, two Democrats – McDonald Mayor Glenn Holmes and Hubbard Councilman Ben Kyle – are running for that position.