Mahoning County Democrats will meet Saturday to endorse candidates

Staff report

BOARDMAN

The Mahoning County Democratic Party’s central and executive committees will meet Saturday to endorse candidates in the March 15 primary – though there is only one race in which more than one candidate is seeking the party’s backing.

That race is between state Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown and her Democratic primary challenger, Michael E. O’Hara, also of Youngstown, for the 58th Ohio House District seat.

Lepore-Hagan beat O’Hara and two others for the party’s endorsement in 2014, and she won the Democratic primary. Lepore-Hagan was unopposed in the general election two years ago.

The Saturday endorsement meeting will start at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Banquet Hall, 5235 South Ave.

There are two other Democratic primaries in which there is more than one opponent on the ballot in Mahoning County.

Those are U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, being challenged by John Stephen Luchansky of Boardman, and county Recorder Noralynn Palermo of Youngstown facing Struthers Tax Commissioner Jim Bertrando.

Neither Luchansky, who lost to Ryan in 2014, nor Bertrando is seeking the party’s endorsement, said Mahoning Democratic Chairman David Betras.

The rest of the incumbent Democrats in the county on the ballot this year are unopposed in the primary. If they ask, those incumbents will be endorsed by acclamation, Betras said.