YOUNGSTOWN — Republican Jennifer J. Ciccone, who received backlash from her own party for a court complaint filed by 28 of her supporters claiming the Mahoning County Board of Elections rigged her last election, withdrew her candidacy for the 58th Ohio House District seat.

Ciccone, of Poland, filed for the state House seat on Dec. 20, the last day to submit nominating petitions for the March 19, 2024, primary. She was the only Republican to file for the position. Ciccone withdrew Tuesday, less than a week later.

Ciccone didn’t return telephone calls Thursday seeking comment on her withdrawal.

Candidates have until Jan. 8 to file as write-ins for the primary so Republicans still have an opportunity to find someone for the seat to challenge incumbent state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, in the Nov. 5, 2024, general election.

McNally is currently the only candidate for the seat.

Tom McCabe, Mahoning County Republican chairman and director of the elections board, said the party will seek to find someone to file as a write-in candidate.

“It’s not a great district (for Republicans), but could be won with the right candidate,” he said.

The district favors Democrats by more than 21% based on partisan statewide voting results during the past decade.

McCabe said he hasn’t heard from Ciccone as to why she suddenly withdrew from the state House race.

“Maybe she got cold feet after coming off an election to go into another,” McCabe said.

Ciccone lost the Nov. 7 election for Struthers Municipal Court judge by 10.28% to James Melone.

McCabe has said Ciccone, a fellow Republican, called him the day after the results “claiming it was rigged and there was mass fraud” in her election. McCabe said there was nothing wrong with the results and the allegations were “baseless.”

Ciccone also filed public records requests seeking hundreds of pages of documents from the board of elections. Ciccone on Dec. 8 said she didn’t question the outcome of the election.

Michael P. Ciccone, an attorney who supported her but isn’t related, filed a Dec. 1 complaint with the 7th District Court of Appeals on behalf of 28 backers of the failed candidate claiming “improper, irregular and illegal conduct” in the Struthers Municipal Court race by the board of elections. The complaint listed numerous allegations but didn’t provide any details.

McCabe and other election officials sharply criticized the complaint and both Ciccones. Seven days after filing the complaint, Michael P. Ciccone requested it be dismissed.

Michael P. Ciccone, of Austintown, is one of two Republicans to file for county clerk of courts. The other is David Shaffer of Struthers, who unsuccessfully ran for the position in 2016.

Jennifer J. Ciccone circulated petitions on Dec. 20, the filing deadline date, and collected enough valid ones to qualify for the ballot had she not withdrawn, McCabe said.

All candidates and issues that filed for the March 19, 2024, primary ballot appear to have valid petitions, McCabe said. The board meets Tuesday to certify.

Despite saying on Dec. 8 that both Ciccones owe “every pollworker and every elections employee an apology” because “they accused my staff of rigging an election,” McCabe said Thursday the party supports its nominees despite past differences.

“If you file as a Republican in Mahoning County (and advance to the general election) you’re on the slate card and get support from the party,” McCabe said.

Asked if he had hard feelings against either Ciccone, McCabe said: “Politics make strange bedfellows sometimes.”

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Anderson said the county Republican Party “opened its arms to an election denier. Congratulations to the Republican Party for getting rid of the one driving that train, but you’ve got the architect (Michael P. Ciccone) still on the ticket.”

McNally said with the Jan. 8 write-in deadline and the March 18 independent filing deadline, “nothing is off the table or out of the way. That’s my mindset. I’m looking to map out my campaign strategy. Anyone can file against me. I’m going to continue to do the hard work and hope that’s what brings people out to vote for me.”