WARREN — Bazetta Township Trustee Michael J. Hovis is the first candidate to file for Trumbull County commissioner — but he certainly won’t be the last, as four other Republicans have pulled petitions, including incumbent Denny Malloy.

Hovis was reelected in November to a second four-year term as Bazetta trustee. Before that, he spent 25 years in the township’s police department, including the final six years as its chief, retiring Dec. 31, 2018.

Hovis started his own construction company in March 2019 with a focus on federal government work. Hovis Construction currently has three contracts at Camp James A. Garfield, the former Ravenna Arsenal.

“As I was knocking on doors for the recent election, I was overwhelmed by the people who asked me why I wasn’t doing this on a bigger scale,” Hovis said. “I also had business people asking me to run for commissioner.”

Hovis said, “I was asked to run the last time (in 2022) against Denny. I decided to give Denny a shot, and he hasn’t gotten the job done.”

Hovis criticized Malloy for not using enough of the county’s $38.5 million in American Rescue Fund allocation for infrastructure projects. Records show about $16.5 million of the funding was used for that specific purpose.

“We try to spend our money in Bazetta on infrastructure,” Hovis said. “At the county level, there is no planning, and a focus on planning is what I would bring to the county.”

Hovis serves as first vice president of the Conservative Club of Trumbull County, created in June by a group of Republicans dissatisfied with the way the county party is operating.

“I’m not involved with the (county) Republican Party at all,” Hovis said. “There is too much turmoil and divisiveness. They’re not going anywhere. That’s why the Conservative Club evolved.”

Malloy, serving his first four-year term as commissioner, said he plans to run for reelection as a Republican. In 2022, Malloy beat Democrat Michael J. O’Brien by 2.56% for the open commissioner’s seat. He lost two years earlier running as an independent.

Trumbull County was a Democratic stronghold for decades before Republican Donald Trump won the first of three consecutive presidential elections in the county, starting in 2016. Republicans won every contested race in the county during the 2022 and 2024 elections.

Other Republicans who have taken out nominating petitions for county commissioner are Hubbard Trustee Jason Tedrow, Jason Miner, the former Vienna fiscal officer, and Niki Frenchko, a former county commissioner.

Frenchko also pulled nominating petitions for county auditor and for the 14th Congressional District seat.

Frenchko seems to be leaning toward a challenge to U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, a seven-term congressman.

Frenchko pulled nominating petitions in the 2024 Republican primary for both county commissioner seats on the ballot. She chose to seek reelection, losing the primary by 18.6% to Rick Hernandez, who went on to win the general election.

Tedrow was elected as a Hubbard Township trustee in 2023, beating nine-term incumbent Frederick Hanley by 2.66%. Tedrow had previously run in 2013, finishing last among four candidates seeking two seats.

Miner resigned Oct. 31 as Vienna fiscal officer after a year on the job. Before that, Miner was Warren Township’s assistant fiscal officer.

No Democrats have pulled nominating petitions for county commissioner or declared their candidacy as of Monday.

Feb. 4 is the filing deadline for the May 5 primary.

Independent candidates have until May 4, the day before the primary, to file for the Nov. 3 general election.