Tuesday’s primary election brought plenty of excitement throughout the Mahoning Valley as party nominations were won, some incumbents were defeated and the stage was set for the general election in November.

According to unofficial results from the Mahoning County Board of Elections, there were 38,042 voters who cast a ballot in the primary, or about 24%. The results were a little more in Trumbull County, where turnout was 27.2% and 36,745 ballots were cast, which was expected. But now that the primary election is over and party nominations are decided, the attention turns to Nov. 5.

Positions that can affect the future of the Mahoning Valley will be up for grabs, so, ahead of November, this newspaper implores readers to do their research and dive into candidates’ goals and information to make the most informed decision possible. As always, we will do our part by speaking with candidates to produce informative stories and making endorsements in selected races, along with covering results from beginning to end.

Several races throughout the Valley will draw plenty of attention over the next eight months. The race for Mahoning County prosecutor is set to be big as Gina DeGenova looks to retain her position against defense attorney Lynn Maro. While Tuesday’s results aren’t necessarily an indicator of how November’s election will go, the two candidates drew 26,931 total votes.

Republican Geno DiFabio and David C. Ditzler, the incumbent Democrat, will face off for a Mahoning County commissioner seat come November, while Anthony Traficanti, another incumbent Democrat, will look to fend off write-in candidate Jennifer Ciccone, the former Struthers Municipal Court Judge who served a three-month term before losing to James Melone in November.

In Trumbull County, there are also two commissioner seats up for grabs. After defeating incumbent Niki Frenchko in the Republican primary, Hubbard Township Trustee Rick Hernandez will take on former commissioner Dan Polivka, who earned the Democratic nod and is looking to return to the seat after losing to Frenchko in 2020. Hernandez’s race against Frenchko drew 19,734 votes, while 13,360 votes were split between Polivka, Warren City Council President John Brown and Howland Trustee James LaPolla.

Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa, a Democrat, will take on Republican Tony Bernard for the second seat that is up for grabs in the November election. Bernard and Cantalamessa drew a combined 24,862 votes.

Other high-stakes races in Trumbull County include the one for Trumbull County sheriff between Democrat Paul Monroe, the incumbent, and Republican Mike Wilson, who defeated John Barco by just more than 5,800 votes Tuesday. Along with that race, Democrat Randy Smith and Republican David DeChristofaro will match up in the race for county engineer.

There are plenty of other races that will be contested in November, such as the race between Republican Bernie Moreno and incumbent Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, for a U.S. Senate seat. Republican state Sen. Michael Rulli will also take on the Democratic nominee winner Michael Kripchak in the U.S. Congressional 6th District race to replace Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson.

No matter the race, do your part to become an informed voter over the next eight months so when Nov. 5 does come around, you’re prepared to make the best possible decision for the future of Ohio and the Mahoning Valley.