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Council chief withdraws, files as write-in

YOUNGSTOWN — With the Mahoning County Board of Elections prepared not to certify his candidacy, Youngstown City Council President DeMaine Kitchen withdrew from the Democratic primary and filed to run as a write-in candidate.

Kitchen, who was to run unopposed, submitted nominating petitions with 67 signatures, with 50 needing to be valid, to get on the ballot. But reviews of his petitions by board employees determined only 46 signatures were valid.

Deputy Director Thomas McCabe said the board calls candidates without enough valid signatures before certification, which was Friday, to let them know they likely won’t qualify and offer options, including filing as a write-in, before the board meets to vote.

“It’s a courtesy we do for everyone to let them know they could not be certified and also offer to have them come in and review the petitions to determine if others are valid,” McCabe said.

Kitchen said when he got the call, “I thought (a board employee) was playing. I figured I had enough signatures. I was completely shocked they could only get to 46. I take responsibility for not knowing where people live.”

Kitchen said, “I would have been able to get all my signatures at church,” but there are no in-person services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kitchen went to the board Thursday to review the petitions and decided to withdraw. He then filled out a form to run as a write-in candidate.

Of the 21 invalid signatures on Kitchen’s petitions: three people printed their names instead of signing them, which isn’t permitted; six others weren’t registered to vote; six had the wrong address; four had illegible signatures; and two of the circulators of petitions signed their own names to those particular petitions, which also isn’t permitted.

“I could have gotten affidavits from people saying that they signed it and others were registered, but didn’t do a change of address,” Kitchen said. “I decided to run as a write-in. It’s a pain, but it is what it is. We hope we can get people to write me in.”

Others also can turn in paperwork by Feb. 22 to permit those voting in the May 4 Democratic primary to write their names in as a candidate for the seat.

Because 50 signatures are needed on nominating petitions, Kitchen would need at least 50 votes in the primary to get on the November ballot if he’s unopposed.

If he has opposition, the candidate with the most write-in votes becomes the Democratic nominee for council president.

There isn’t a Republican primary in the city with Tracey Winbush filing as the only candidate for mayor and no one for council president.

But if someone files as a write-in against Winbush or at least two file as write-ins for council president, that would force a Republican primary.

Also, May 3, the day before the primary, is the filing deadline for independent candidates to file.

Kitchen said he wouldn’t be surprised to see someone else file as a Democratic write-in or run as an independent.

“If we have an opponent, we’ll work hard,” he said.

Kitchen, a former 2nd Ward councilman and a failed 2013 independent candidate for mayor, won the 2017 four-man Democratic primary for council president with 44.19 percent of the vote. He was elected that November with 96.06 percent of the vote, beating a write-in candidate.

The board Friday voted to certify other candidates for the primary in Youngstown, Struthers and Poland and school board issues in Struthers and Sebring.

During the primary, 65 of the county’s 212 precincts will be opened, said board Director Joyce Kale-Pesta. That includes all 45 precincts in Youngstown, all 12 in Struthers and eight in the Sebring school district, she said.

ELECTIONS BOARD MEMBERS

After being certified as the Republican nominee for Youngtown mayor, Winbush submitted her resignation as a board of elections member, a position she’s held for about seven years.

“It’s been a pleasure to be a member of the board,” Winbush said.

The Mahoning County Republican Party executive committee is to meet today and is expected to nominate Sandra Barger of Youngstown, the party’s treasurer and president of an accounting firm, to replace Winbush.

The committee will also nominate Mark Munroe, who’s served on the board for 28 years, to another term.

The secretary of state confirms nominations from political parties.

Also today, the Mahoning County Democratic Party executive committee is to meet and nominate Bob Wasko of Poland, a 15-year board member, to another term.

A board member is paid about $15,000 a year.

Both Wasko and Munroe said their next terms would be their last.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com

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