YOUNGSTOWN ä It looks like nameplates wonát be changing in the Mahoning County Commissionersá office.

Four-term county commissioner Anthony Traficanti looks to keep his seat. Absentee results in Mahoning County showed Traficanti received 46,623, or 70.58 percent of the votes. He faced Grant Williams, who had 19,435 votes, or 29.42 percent of the absentee / early votes.

And, longtime Mahoning County commissioner and former Austintown Trustee David Ditzler appeared to have won another term after a challenge by Steve Kristan. It was Kristanás first attempt at a political office.

When absentee results were announced by the Mahoning County Board of Elections early Tuesday, Ditzler had 44,021, or 67.25 percent of the votes.

Kristan received 21,434, or 32.75 percent, of the absentee votes.

Along with many other Democratic officeholders in Mahoning County, Traficanti was at St. Luke Church hall in Boardman.

âThis is a victory not only for me but for the community,ã Traficanti said.

During his next four years, Traficanti said he is hopeful to finish extending water and sewer lines around Lake Milton, along with the Campus of Care. The multi-use residential and workforce training initiative is at the former Youngstown Developmental Center.

Maintaining a stable budget to ensure citizens have access to various services is also on his radar, as well as continuing to grow the area once known as âThe Rust Beltã to âThe Tech Belt,ã as technology is making its mark on the county.

Traficanti, 54, of Poland, a Democrat, said one of his proudest accomplishments was improving the stability of the countyás finances.

Williams, 27, of New Middletown, a Republican, said rebuilding Mahoning County economically was his primary goal because there is not enough opportunity, especially for young people.

As for Ditzler, who was watching the results come in: âWeáre cautiously optimistic,ã he said.

Ditzler, 62 of Austintown, a Democrat, has been county commissioner two terms after 19 years as Austintown Township trustee and after working nearly 30 years in sales for two steel companies.

Kristan, 61, of Canfield, a Republican, retired in 2019 after working 35 years as director of external affairs for AT&T.

âWe thought we had a good turnout,ã Kristan said, adding that there were many Republicans that were at the polls throughout various locations Tuesday.

Kristan said he was hopeful that as the night went on, the numbers would get better.

Ditzler said one of his greatest accomplishments as a commissioner was fixing county financial shortfalls when he first took office in 2013.

Kristan said expanding high speed internet for all residents of Mahoning County was a high priority for him. He also argued that Mahoning County is not getting its fair share of development projects, such as the TJX project, Lordstown Motors and the Ultium Cells battery plant just north of the Mahoning County line in Lordstown. Ballots postmarked by this past Monday that arrive at the county board of elections by Nov. 13 and provisional ballots still need to be counted.

Election results must be certified by Nov. 18.

afox@tribtoday.com