More changes coming soon for Trumbull Republicans

May 22, 2026

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

May 15, 2026

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

May 8, 2026

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

May 1, 2026

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

April 24, 2026

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 ...

Don’t count on any fast move of Mahoning elections board

April 17, 2026

For the past two years, Mahoning County Board of Elections officials have vocally complained about the conditions at its offices at Oakhill Renaissance Place. There’s been a lot of talk. There’s even been singing as board Chairman David Betras performed in front of the county commissioners. Could action finally be forthcoming? That’s difficult to determine, but things have progressed more in the last six weeks than they have at any other time during the past two years. All involved parties agree on one thing: Getting the board of elections and other county offices out of ...