Correspondent photo / Michael G. Taylor State Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, talks on his cellphone while waiting for results from Tuesday’s primary election to fill the 6th Congressional District seat vacated by Bill Johnson. Rulli won the three-person GOP race on Tuesday by about 9% over state Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus of Paris Township. The third candidate was Dr. Richard Tsai of East Palestine.

With Michael Rulli capturing the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District seat and the heavy favorite to win the June 11 special election for the vacant spot, there already is interest in replacing him in the Ohio Senate.

Should Rulli win the special election — and the district heavily favors Republicans — the GOP caucus of the Ohio Senate will select his replacement for the rest of this year once he resigns from representing the 33rd District.

The district includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties.

Already expressing interest in the appointment and the nomination are state Reps. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, and Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, as well as Columbiana County Commissioner Mike Halleck. Cutrona and Robb Blasdel are seeking reelection to their Ohio House seats and would have to forgo those bids if nominated to run for the state Senate.

Youngstown 4th Ward Councilman Mike Ray, a Democrat, said he would consider running for the unexpired term in November.

Mahoning County Republican Chairman Tom McCabe and Columbiana County Republican Chairman Dave Johnson said they expect to discuss potential candidates with Senate Republican leadership as the district’s local parties will select someone to run to fill the remainder of Rulli’s two-year unexpired term, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

“It’s up to the Senate if they want to work with the local parties,” McCabe said. “It doesn’t have to be the same person, but you want it to be the same person. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be the same person.”

THE PROCESS

Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3513.31, which addresses the withdrawal, disqualification or death of a candidate prior to a general election, the district committee — consisting of the party chairs and secretaries in each county in the state Senate district — determines who would be the Republican candidate on the November general election ballot.

McCabe and Johnson said their interpretation of the state law is it would apply in this case should Rulli be elected and subsequently resign.

“It’s an obscure law that we discovered,” Johnson said. “We don’t normally see the chairs and secretaries decide. We’ll meet with the three counties. We want the candidate to be the same person as the caucus. We’ll speak to them about it.”

McCabe said he would want key members of the executive committees, elected officials, major donors and party volunteers to provide input in the decision as to who would run as the Republican nominee.

The Ohio Senate Republican Caucus is interested in cooperating with the district committee to find a candidate who would get the appointment and the nomination, said John Fortney, its spokesman.

“As the majority caucus, we don’t make the decision on the nomination to the ballot,” he said. “But we want to work with the district committee.”

Under Article II, Section 11 of the Ohio Constitution, elections for open state Senate seats must be held if the person vacates it within the first 20 months of the term. Rulli started serving his second four-year term in January 2023. If Rulli was going to resign after July 31, which wouldn’t happen under this scenario, the person selected by the Republican caucus to succeed him would have filled out the rest of the term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2026.

Rulli, if elected to Congress, would resign after the election results are certified in late June or the start of July.

DEMOCRAT RESPONSE

Chris Anderson, Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman, said he is having the party’s legal counsel research state law because he wants an open primary for the seat rather than an appointment.

“If it is state law that we can’t have a primary, then we’ll figure out the party nominee,” he said. “We’ll put out a call for candidates. We’ll treat it as an open process and have the party select our candidate.”

Anderson said some potential candidates have discussed a possible run. He declined to name them.

With nearly all of the incumbent Democratic executive branch county officeholders on the ballot this year in Mahoning, it is unlikely any of them would seek the state Senate position.

That leaves city council members or township trustees or those who don’t hold elected office as the party’s candidate.

Columbiana and Carroll counties are overwhelmingly Republican so it’s unlikely the Democratic candidate would come from either.

The 33rd District favors Republicans by about 9.5% based on partisan statewide voting trends in the past decade.

Ray, who has served more than 13 years on Youngstown council, said of the position: “I would never leave anything off the table. It’s an opportunity to explore.”

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

McCabe said Cutrona is his first choice.

“He’s a proven vote-getter and fundraiser,” McCabe said of Cutrona.

He also complimented Robb Blasdel and pointed out if either gets the appointment, the Ohio House Republican Caucus would have to appoint their successor for the rest of the year. If Cutrona is appointed, Mahoning Republicans would select a replacement on the Nov. 5 ballot. If Robb Blasdel is appointed, Columbiana Republicans would choose her replacement on the ballot.

Cutrona said: “It is definitely something I’d be interested in. I’d consider putting my hat in the ring for Mike Rulli’s seat. I’ve received a lot of support. I look forward to the process. Ultimately it will be a decision as far as what is best for the Valley.”

Anderson said Cutrona’s statement “shows he’s incredibly concerned with his own reelection. Why would voters reelect him to a job he clearly doesn’t want?”

Laura Schaeffer, a Beloit councilwoman, is the Democratic nominee challenging Cutrona in the 59th Ohio House District race.

Robb Blasdel said: “I would definitely take it under consideration.”

She added: “I just try to look at it: how I can best represent my constituents. We need to get through the special election (for Congress) first. I’ve had a lot of calls of support. I’ve had conversations with people about the seat.”

Johnson said the names of Cutrona, Robb Blasdel and Halleck have been mentioned.

“I don’t have any preconceived candidates,” he said.

Halleck said: “It’s preliminary, but I’ll listen. I had some people mention it to me and had some calls from Columbus.”

But Halleck added: “Why would I want to give up a great county commissioner seat for the state Senate? If (Rulli) resigns to get sworn in to Congress around July 1, I’d have four months and then have to run for a two-year term. There’s a lot to think through.”

An issue facing Cutrona and Robb Blasdel is they were censured in January 2023 by the Ohio Republican Party for being among 22 House Republicans who went against the party’s choice for Ohio House speaker. The party refused to endorse them two months ago even though they were both running unopposed because of that vote.

The two would have to address that issue with Senate Republicans when seeking the appointment.

RULLI VICTORY

Rulli won the Republican primary for the open congressional district seat by about 9% over state Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus of Paris Township.

Of the district’s 11 counties, Rulli won in only Mahoning and Columbiana. But his margins of victories in those two counties — particularly beating Stoltzfus by more than 64% in Mahoning, the district’s most-populous county — enabled him to win the primary.

The district has an 18% advantage to Republicans based on voting trends in partisan statewide elections over the past decade and is considered a safe one for the GOP.

Rulli will face Democrat Michael L. Kripchak, who won his party’s primary by more than 30%.

The two will face each other in the June 11 special primary for the unexpired term of Republican Bill Johnson, who resigned Jan. 21 to become president of Youngstown State University.

Rulli and Kripchak will again face each other in the Nov. 5 general election for the full two-year term, which starts in January 2025.

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