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YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene, a longtime Democrat, said he is giving consideration to switching political parties in next year's election.
"I haven't made any decisions, but, yes, it is something I'm considering," said Greene of Boardman, who will run in 2024 for his fourth four-year term as sheriff. "I'm considering it out of personal reasons. It will have no bearing on the job we've done the last 11 years" as sheriff.
Greene said he didn't know when he would make a decision.
Greene was first elected sheriff in 2012 to succeed Democrat Randall Wellington, who held the job for 13 years. Ray T. Davis in 1976 was the last Republican to serve as Mahoning County sheriff.
Dec. 20 is the filing deadline for candidates running in next March's primary to file nominating petitions.
Despite being a Democrat, Greene enjoys a good relationship with the county Republican Party. The party has been a sponsor at his golf fundraising outings and Greene attends Republican dinners, including paying $250 for two tickets to the March 10 party fundraiser headlined by Tulsi Gabbard.
Greene also attends Democratic events, paying $300 for tickets to the January retirement party of Paul J. Gains, the former county prosecutor, for example.
County Republican Party Chairman Tom McCabe said he has met with Greene, a friend since high school, on a few occasions recently about changing his party affiliation just as he did four years ago.
"We stand together on national law enforcement issues," McCabe said. "He has to make his own decision and do what is best for him, but we hope he crosses over."
Even if Greene remains a Democrat, McCabe said the Republican Party will support him and not run a candidate against him in next year's election.
"He's probably the best sheriff in the state of Ohio," McCabe said. "Republican or Democrat, he does a great job. We'd love to have him affiliated with us."
County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Anderson said he also has talked to Greene about a potential switch and urged him to stay.
"Jerry is an outstanding officeholder," Anderson said. "Our county is safer with Jerry as sheriff. He's made it abundantly clear that his issue isn't with the local party. They're personal and with the national party. Right now, it's hypothetical. We'd cross that bridge if we came to it."
Asked if the party would field a candidate against Greene if he changed parties, Anderson said: "I can't really speculate on that. Jerry does a phenomenal job."
While Mahoning remains a Democratic county, the political tide has turned in the past few years. Auditor Ralph Meacham is the only Republican elected to the executive branch. But the county's representatives in the U.S. House, Ohio House and Ohio Senate are all Republicans.
Also, some of the most competitive countywide races in decades occurred in the 2020 election and Republican Geno DiFabio lost by only 0.14 of 1 percent in the 2022 county commissioner race to incumbent Democrat Carol Rimedio-Righetti, who was elected to her fourth four-year term.
The county voted for every statewide Republican on the 2022 ballot and in 2020, Donald Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to win Mahoning County in 48 years.
"The county has changed," McCabe said. "We're hoping if Jerry makes that decision that others will follow his lead. We've talked to other county officials. At the end of the day, it's up to the officeholders."
Asked about county Engineer Pat Ginnetti, McCabe said, "He would be a good example."
Anderson said while he hasn't spoken to Ginnetti about his political affiliation, others in the local Democratic Party have and "Pat's not switching."