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Cantalamessa wins primary in bid to be Warren’s law director
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May. 7, 2019
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Enzo Cantalamessa defeated longtime Warren Law Director Greg Hicks 55 percent to 45 percent in the Democratic primary for Warren law director Tuesday, one of the most closely watched and most expensive races in Trumbull County’s primary.
Former United Steelworkers union leader Gary Steinbeck made the win official at Enzo’s, the Cantalamessa family restaurant, leading the crowd in a cheer. Steinbeck stood next to Cantalamessa, who wore a wide grin. Cantalamessa, Warren’s safety service director, will move from city hall to run the city’s law department at the start of 2020. He has no Republican opponent in November.
“I’m extremely grateful for the love and loyalty of my family and friends and supporters and am particularly grateful for the trust the citizens have placed in electing me to this position,” Cantalamessa said.
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He said he thanks Mayor Doug Franklin for the opportunity to be his safety service director. “He’s more brother than he is my boss,” Cantalamessa said.
Cantalamessa and Hicks both spent about $20,000 on the campaign through April 17, according to their campaign finance reports, with Cantalamessa still having about $17,000 left to spend the last three weeks.
Cantalamessa argued that Hicks, who has been law director 27 years, has spent too much on outside lawyers and law firms when less-expensive ones would suffice.
In the Niles mayor’s race, incumbent Steve Mientkiewicz fought off a challenge from former Niles service and safety director Jimmy DePasquale, winning 70 percent of the vote in unofficial results.
“It was a good showing. I’m humbled and overwhelmed by the support we got tonight,” Mientkiewicz said. “We said we would be open and honest and financially responsible, and that’s what we are going to do.”
Mientkiewicz has been Niles mayor since August, when Trumbull County Democratic Central Committee members from Niles picked him to replace Thomas Scarnecchia, who resigned part way through his term.
DePasquale, who worked for Niles for 30 years, said as mayor he would have restored the city’s income-tax and health departments as city departments. The city now contracts with the Regional Income Tax Agency and the Trumbull County General Health District.
In Hubbard, Councilman Ben Kyle defeated Councilman Timothy O’Hara in the Democratic primary for mayor. Kyle had 68 percent of the votes.
“I’m extremely humbled. I’ve worked really hard and earned the vote of the people,” Kyle said. “We have a lot of work to do, but I want to thank Mayor John Darko for the amazing job he has done the last eight years.”
Darko is not seeking re-election.