Al Cutrona

State Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, was selected by a 4-2 vote today to be the Republican nominee on the Nov. 5 ballot for the 33rd Ohio Senate District.

The Republican Party chairs and secretaries in Mahoning and Carroll counties voted for Cutrona while the GOP chair and secretary in Columbiana County voted for state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana.

The other candidate was Tim Ginter, a former Ohio House speaker pro tempore. Columbiana County Commissioner Mike Halleck dropped out of the running for the nomination.

Under state law, the Republican chairs and secretaries of the three counties in the district got to vote on who would replace Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who resigned as a state senator Wednesday, the day after he won a special election for the vacant 6th Congressional District seat.

The Ohio Senate Republican Caucus plans to appoint Cutrona to Rulli’s former seat later today to serve through the end of the year, said Tom McCabe, Mahoning County Republican Party chairman.

With Cutrona’s seat soon to be vacated, the Republican chairs and secretaries of the Mahoning and Columbiana counties will meet soon to appoint his successor to the ballot, McCabe said.

For more, read Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.