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David Skolnick

Amy Acton runs as unifier while criticizing state GOP

One of the main talking points of Democratic governor nominee Amy Acton’s campaign is rather than being a partisan politician, she is a unifying force who will work with Republicans to move Ohio forward. Republicans see Acton quite differently. During a Wednesday campaign stop in Boardman, Acton said: “Above all, a governor is a convener and a catalyzer and a problem solver. I actually trained for this work I do. You saw me do it in COVID, running all of government and all of society in some ways during our crisis. But I did a residency in preventative medicine in public health ...

More changes coming soon for Trumbull Republicans

There’s going to be yet another change at the top of the Trumbull County Republican Party. Despite the tremendous success Republican candidates have recently experienced in Trumbull County — winning every contested race on the 2022 and 2024 ballots — the party is plagued by political infighting. Part of the problem is there are a lot of newer Republicans — several are either former Democrats or weren’t politically involved — who want to do things a certain way with established Republicans not agreeing. Part of the problem is personalities, as some people simply dislike ...

Perspectives on DeWine’s fast decision on attorney general

Everything happened so fast. Two days after the primary, Attorney General Dave Yost announced May 7 that he was resigning, effective June 7, to take a leadership position with a Christian conservative legal advocacy group. Four days after that, Gov. Mike DeWine said he was appointing Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and a member of his administration for more than seven years, as Yost’s successor. DeWine, a former attorney general, said: “It was very important for me to make this decision quickly. The new attorney general, frankly, has to start ...

Take a deeper dive into election’s winners, losers

One interesting part of the primary elections in Mahoning and Trumbull counties was how few people were in contested races for the seats they currently hold. The only incumbents in contested races in the two counties were Trumbull County Commissioner Denny Malloy, Trumbull Auditor Martha Yoder and the Valley’s two U.S. House members — Michael Rulli of Salem and Dave Joyce of Bainbridge. They’re all Republicans. You can also include Thomas Summers, who was reelected as the 32nd District state central committeeman despite losing Trumbull County to Tom Letson. But state central ...

Trumbull races prove timing can play key role in politics

Timing isn’t everything in politics, but it sure plays a huge factor. Look at Devon Stanley, a Liberty trustee, Girard Municipal Court prosecutor and Trumbull County deputy clerk of courts, who also has a private law practice. Already having four jobs, though he isn’t currently serving as Girard’s prosecutor, Stanley is running in Tuesday’s Republican Party primary for common pleas court judge. If he gets elected, Stanley would give up his current jobs to be a judge. Hanging over his head for months is an Oct. 23 incident in which he allegedly assaulted his wife. The case ...

Engler faces challenges in winning stop-abortion suit

Trumbull County Judge David L. Engler is seeking to stop abortions in Ohio through a lawsuit he filed with the Ohio Supreme Court contending the 2023 reproductive rights constitutional amendment does not provide protections for minors. Rather than asking the court to focus on that lone issue, Engler, a domestic relations / juvenile division court judge, wants an end to all abortions and a revote on the issue, approved by 57% of voters in November 2023. Engler’s lawsuit states that the reproductive rights amendment, which took effect in December 2023 as Article I, Section 22 of the ...