Trumbull Dems endorse Monroe, Latell, O’Brien, Holmes

By Ed Runyan | January 15, 2016 at 12:04a.m.

WARREN

Trumbull County sheriff candidates Paul Monroe and incumbent Tom Altiere gave high-octane speeches to the Democratic Party faithful Thursday night at the party endorsement meeting.

Monroe called himself “the future of law enforcement,” and Altiere flashed back to the successful search for little Rainn Peterson in October.

When the votes had been counted at DiVieste Banquet Room, Monroe had out-polled Altiere 79 to 67.

Monroe, the Howland police chief, said he will be “tough on crime” if elected. “It’s time for drug dealers and violent criminals to know we are in charge,” he said.

Monroe said he decided to run when longtime sheriff Altiere announced he was not running for re-election, and Altiere “shared with me the problems he was having in his office.” Altiere later decided he would run.

Altiere said the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force, which he started, has removed $95 million of drugs from the streets over the years.

Rainn Peterson, 2, went missing in early October from her grandparents’ house in North Bloomfield. She was found alive and relatively unharmed two days later not far from home.

The other close endorsement race was for county recorder, won by Todd Latell of Girard, nephew of former county engineer John Latell, with 80 votes. Gwen Logan, the county’s executive dog warden, received 66 votes in the second ballot. The first ballot was too close for a winner, with Latell getting 67, Logan, 52, and Warren Councilwoman Helen Rucker, 29. Incumbent recorder Diana Marchese isn’t running for re-election.

Sean O’Brien of Bazetta got more votes than Kristen Rock of Liberty for state senator for the 32nd District – 101 votes to Rock’s 47. Current state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty is not able to run again because of term limits.

And McDonald Mayor Glenn Holmes received the most endorsement votes, 70, to replace O’Brien for state representative in the 63rd District, followed by Hubbard Councilman Ben Kyle with 18 and Marianne James of Niles with 1.