YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti said she will not run next year for a fifth, four-year term and is throwing her support behind state Rep. Lauren McNally, a fellow Democrat, to succeed her.

“I’ve done well during my 16 years as commissioner and 10 years on Youngstown council before that,” Rimedio-Righetti said. “I have a great relationship with all of the county officials. I’m still here for another year, but I decided it’s time for a new person in the office. I love what I do and I could do it forever, but the time is right for me to go.”

Rimedio-Righetti said she is “very proud of what I’ve done. I’ve done a lot of good for Mahoning County as a commissioner. I don’t brag. I have worked as a team member since I got this job.”

McNally, D-Youngstown, said she is “honored” that Rimedio-Righetti wants her to be her successor as county commissioner because “she is a great commissioner and cares who will step into that role.”

McNally said, “My heart will always be at home. It’s always been about home when I’m in Columbus. I’m always looking to make my community better and have my community and local services thrive. I’ve worked very hard to build a bridge back to Columbus that fell apart. We need to stabilize it, and we need good people to do that.”

Rimedio-Righetti, who served 10 years on Youngstown City Council, representing the 4th Ward, defeated David Ludt, then the incumbent commissioner, in the 2010 Democratic primary. She won the 2010 general election and was reelected in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

In the 2022 election, Rimedio-Righetti beat Republican Geno DiFabio by only 137 votes, a 0.16% margin of victory. DiFabio defeated incumbent Democrat David Ditzler in 2024 for a commissioner seat.

McNally spent six years on Youngstown council, representing the 5th Ward, before her election to the Ohio House in 2022. She was reelected in 2024.

With McNally planning to run next year for commissioner, her safe Democratic seat in the Ohio House would be up for grabs.

“The county commissioner is the last piece of a puzzle,” McNally said. “I’ve gone from city government to state government and now to county government. It’s a good fit. Running a county is very important work. The way people live is determined at the county level.”

YEMMA

In addition to McNally, county Auditor Daniel Yemma, a Democrat who’s held that position since 2011 and served 13 years on Struthers City Council before that, said he’s had “some very preliminary discussions about” running for commissioner as well as for county auditor, which is on the ballot next year.

Republican Ralph Meacham has served as county auditor since 2014 and is running for reelection.

“I need to give it more serious thought,” Yemma said. “Both could be interesting. The questions are do I have something to offer in each of those positions and do I think the treasurer’s office will be in good hands if I leave? Both answers are yes. I haven’t ruled anything out.”

Yemma said he plans to make a decision after the first of the year.

Yemma said his name has come up as a candidate for both seats because he received more votes than any other county candidate in Mahoning running in a contested election last year.

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

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Mahoning was a longtime Democratic stronghold for decades until Republicans started making inroads about a decade ago. Republican candidates won five county executive branch seats in the 2024 election — some of them successfully riding the coattails of President Donald Trump. For the first time in almost 90 years, more Republicans hold county executive offices in Mahoning than Democrats.

Republicans are looking to build on that momentum.

There is no shortage of Republicans planning to run for commissioner.

Those who have already said they are going to run are county Recorder Richard S. Scarsella of Boardman, Canfield City Council President Christine Oliver and Mike Young of Berlin.

Scarsella, who is also a county educational service center governing board member, was elected county recorder in November 2024, getting 51.48% of the vote over longtime Democratic incumbent Noralynn Palermo, whom he subsequently hired as his chief deputy. Scarsella has served on the educational service center board for about 20 years and has been recorder for close to a year.

In addition to serving on Canfield City Council, Oliver is Combined Insurance’s Northeast Ohio agency leader. Oliver lost the 2016 county treasurer’s race to Yemma, though she received the highest voting percentage of any Republican running in that election for a contested executive branch seat in the county. She also unsuccessfully sought appointments to the Ohio House in 2020 and 2024.

Young owns Mike Young Construction and has the support of DiFabio.

Other potential Republican candidates include Austintown trustee Bruce Shepas and Canfield City Mayor Don Dragish.

Meacham, first elected Mahoning auditor in 2014, plans to run for reelection. During the 2014 election, Meacham beat Michael V. Sciortino, the Democratic incumbent who was under indictment at the time, by 3.6%.

Meacham ran unopposed in the 2018 and 2022 elections.

Democrats are looking to challenge him in 2026 with Yemma’s name at the top of the list.