Not-close races questioned

December 8, 2023

Two Mahoning Valley political candidates who lost their elections — one by 48.8% and the other by 10.28% — are raising questions about the outcomes. By disputing the elections’ validity, despite double-digit defeats, the local candidates are reflecting what we’ve seen nationwide since Donald Trump filed dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits and used other failed tactics after losing the 2020 presidential election. While every candidate has the right to challenge election outcomes to their fullest extent, these attempts seem like efforts to shake trust in the process. In one case, ...

The race is on to replace Bill Johnson in Congress

December 1, 2023

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s plan to resign his House seat in February or early March to become Youngstown State University president would open a safe Republican seat for which state Sen. Michael Rulli is seen as an early favorite. Rulli, R-Salem, filed a declaration of candidacy and created a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission, which allows him to start raising money for the race. Rulli said Thursday he is scheduling a date and time for an official announcement. Dec. 20 is the deadline for candidates to file for the full two-year position on the March 19, 2024, ...

YSU President-elect Johnson criticized higher education

November 23, 2023

While U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson isn’t the first Republican selected as Youngstown State University president, he is a partisan conservative who has served in Congress for 13 years. Johnson, R-Marietta, faced criticism by alumni, students and faculty for his politics including opposing gay marriage, being anti-choice, supporting immigration restrictions, challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election and for his professional background that doesn’t include any higher education experience. Johnson voted 96.8% with former President Donald Trump, a Republican, and only 20.2% ...

How Issue 1 won

November 17, 2023

Voters in Mahoning and Trumbull counties backed Issue 1, the abortion rights constitutional amendment, at essentially the same percentages as it received statewide. Mahoning and Trumbull were among 23 counties ä including the most-populous ones ä that voted in favor of the issue. The issue lost in Ohio's other 65 counties, but several of them have populations smaller than the city of Youngstown. It's like a presidential candidate winning Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Delaware, and losing California, New York and Texas. In Mahoning and Trumbull, Issue 1 had its biggest wins ...

Abortion to factor in senate race

November 10, 2023

When Ohio Republican leaders put a constitutional amendment on an Aug. 8 special election ballot to raise the threshold to pass future amendments from a simple majority to at least 60% of voters rather than a simple majority, it was largely to stop an abortion rights proposal from passing. Voters rejected that proposal. Had that issue passed in August, the abortion rights constitutional amendment on Tuesday’s ballot would have failed. The amendment received support from 56.62% of voters, according to unofficial results. (A recreational marijuana proposal got 56.97% support, but it ...

Issue 2 gets minimal attention

November 3, 2023

Backers of state Issue 2 to legalize the adult-use of recreational marijuana have implemented a low-key campaign strategy rather than draw voter attention to the proposal. Opponents to the issue also don’t seem that motivated to get out their message. It’s an unusual strategy, but probably an effective one for supporters with so much attention being paid to the other issue on the ballot — an abortion rights constitutional amendment. Television commercials and, to a lesser extent, radio ads are very common during statewide campaigns in Ohio. It’s typically the largest ...