AUSTINTOWN — Two political newcomers have unseated two incumbent township trustees.

“It’s humbling, and it took a lot of work,” Robert Santos, 40, said Tuesday evening after he and Monica Deavers defeated incumbents Kenneth Carano and Jim Davis, according to incomplete and unofficial results from the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

Deavers, 56, who owns Charly’s Family Restaurant in the township, received 29.87 percent of the vote, and Santos received 26.42 percent.

Davis and Carano received 20.06 percent, and 23.65 percent, respectively.

Santos praised Davis and Carano for what they’ve done for Austintown, but added the township is ready for a new vision he plans to help lead.

“The community talked,” Deavers said, adding that having a woman trustee will add diversity to township government.

“The community has spoken, and obviously they want to go in a different direction. You have to respect that; that’s the democracy we live in,” Davis, 44, who served 12 years as trustee, said. “I called Monica and Robert and told them, ‘I love this community. Please treat it well.”

Davis added that he hopes the two newcomers will be successful in building on what he and Carano have accomplished.

Carano, 77, thanked residents for allowing him to serve two terms as trustee, adding that many of them now are looking for new leadership.

During his 16 years in public office, Carano was a state representative from 2000 to 2007, then served as regional director from 2007 to 2011 for former democratic Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. Carano began his political career after retiring in 2000,and after having taught more than 30 years at Austintown Fitch High School.

Santos, who served 11 years in the Marine Corps before medically retiring, campaigned last year for a congressional seat in the state’s 13th district, in which he posted a third-place finish in a field of seven Republican candidates.

His priorities are to update certain outdated infrastructure, ensure department heads have the most up-to-date equipment, and to improve communication among trustees and residents to provide better access to all information within the township.

Many young people feel disconnected from the community, so creating inexpensive apps, for example, is a good way to make especially the younger generation feel a greater connection, he explained.

Deavers stressed what she sees as the need for improved communication between township government and residents, something that could be achieved via a newsletter or a more efficient website.

She also expressed a desire to see unique, small businesses set up in the township.

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