Area Congressional leaders

By David Skolnick

The three U.S. House members who represent the Mahoning Valley were easily re-elected while a state senator from the area appears to have won an open congressional seat just west of the Valley.

Unofficial returns showed U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, has won his fourth two-year term with a solid victory over Republican Duane Grassell of Mogadore, an Akron school district math teacher and department chairman. With about 59 percent of the votes tallied, Ryan had more than 80 percent of the vote.

It was also smooth sailing for U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, who appears to have defeated two opponents to capture his second term in the House. Wilson defeated Republican Richard Stobbs of Colerain, a Franking County deputy recorder, and Dennis Spisak, a Green Party candidate who serves as a Struthers Board of Education member. With 59 percent of the vote in, Wilson had 61 percent of the vote.

The 17th District includes portions of Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The 6th includes all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County.

While other Republican members of the House had trouble defending their seats, U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette of Bainbridge Township, R-14th, who represents seven northern townships in Trumbull County, won his eighth term.

LaTourette turned back the challenge of Democrat Bill O’Neill of South Russell, who resigned as a justice on the 11th District Court of Appeals earlier this year to run for Congress. LaTourette had a 20-percentage-point lead over O’Neill with 59 percent of the vote tallied.

Also, state Sen. John Boccieri, D-33rd, appears to have become the first Democrat in about 50 years to win the 16th Congressional District seat. That district includes all of Stark and Wayne counties and portions of Medina and Ashland counties.

Boccieri recently moved from New Middletown in Mahoning County to Alliance in Stark County.

With 59 percent of the vote counted, Boccieri had 52.3 percent of the vote while his Republican opponent, state Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-29th, of Jackson, had 47.7 percent.

skolnick@vindy.com