YOUNGSTOWN — Chris Anderson was reelected to his second and what he says is his final four-year term as Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman.

Anderson said, “When I ran four years ago, I made it clear I had no ambition to make politics my career. I wanted to build the party infrastructure, modernize the party, build our bench and create new spaces for folks to grow in the party and offer new ideas. We made great progress in the first term, and we’ll build on that in the second term.”

Anderson said his focus for the new term is to launch candidate training programs for first-time candidates to ensure “the next generation of leadership is fully equipped to win and (engage) in a robust search alongside party and community leaders to identify and recruit candidates.”

Anderson, 37, has been involved in politics for the past 17 years.

“In my final term, we’ll continue to invest in the party,” he said.

Anderson said he wants to be able to spend more time with his family and after this term ends, he will “still be involved with the party. But I want folks who come behind me to lead it.”

Democrats dominated Mahoning County government for decades. But with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, Republicans won four of the six contested county executive branch races in 2024 and control six of the 11 positions.

Of those four contested races won by Republicans in the county in 2024, three were by less than 2% and one was by 3%.

Anderson said, “Mahoning County is a purple county. We’re going to win the 2026 midterms and the 2028 election. Mahoning County was sold a false bill of goods (by Trump) and every Republican on the ballot is 100% responsible for the disorder. They are all enablers and are being held accountable. Mahoning County voters were promised lower costs and good government and all we see is chaos and corruption.”

Anderson said during his first term, the party raised nearly $500,000 with the money reinvested back into local candidates and the party; rebuilt relationships with labor unions; expanded clubs and caucuses; changed the model for funding coordinated campaigns to make running for office more accessible; modernized the communications system by creating an email list, launched a new website and grew the social media reach; modernized technology by investing in efforts to help candidates; moved the headquarters to a more centralized location in Cornersburg; and had town halls and other events.

Anderson and the entire slate of party officers were elected Saturday by unanimous vote by its central committee with no opponents.

Maria Pappas was reelected vice chair with Alexis Smith selected as the other vice chair. Anna Conti was elected secretary with Richard Clauitti, the party’s longtime treasurer, keeping that post.

Also, Larry Fauver remains vice chair of labor relations; Jamael Tito Brown was reelected vice chair of minority affairs; and Kathryn Miller was elected vice chair of women’s affairs, which is a new position.