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David Skolnick

Late-arriving ballots won’t be counted

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican responsible for overseeing elections in Ohio, often says that in this state “it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat.” Yet Republicans continue to follow President Donald Trump’s lead by restricting voting despite the minuscule instances of fraud in Ohio. The latest law, approved Nov. 19 by the General Assembly and signed Dec. 19 by Gov. Mike DeWine, requires all mail-in ballots to arrive at county boards of elections no later than the same day as the election. Before that, voters had to have their ballots postmarked by the day ...

Ciccone may stay put for year as removal drive plays out

Don’t expect embattled Mahoning County Clerk of Court Michael P. Ciccone to voluntarily resign from his elected position despite the county Republican and Democratic parties united in an effort to have him removed from office. Ciccone, a Republican, has too much to lose to quit his job despite the mounting pressure. Ciccone’s finances don’t appear to be in good shape despite making $101,823 in annual salary as clerk of courts. I reported Nov. 8 that Ciccone owed $3,230.57 in delinquent taxes on three properties he owns, with most of it — $1,983.92 — for his personal ...

Candidates emerge in Trumbull

The only executive branch seats up for grabs in next year’s election in Trumbull County are for auditor and one of the three commissioner spots. With a Feb. 4 filing deadline for the May 5 primary, no one has submitted nominating petitions for any of the seats, but there are a number of people interested. Auditor Martha Yoder, a Republican first elected to the job in 2022, said she will run for reelection. Two other Republicans declared their candidacy for Trumbull auditor. They are Stacy A. Marling, Bazetta fiscal officer and Mahoning County chief deputy auditor, and Mike ...

DAVID SKOLNICK: 2026 judicial races in Valley draw great deal of attention

The filing deadline for the 2026 primary election is two months away, and a number of seats on the ballot in Mahoning and Trumbull counties are drawing interest from several candidates. A number of judicial seats lack incumbents — and several people seek to fill them. Most of the positions are opening up because of incumbents ineligible to seek reelection in 2026. In Ohio, judicial candidates cannot run for office if they will be at least 70 years old when they are sworn in. In Trumbull County, Probate Court Judge James A. Fredericka cannot seek reelection because of the age-limit ...

Close local races prove every single vote counts

The adage that every vote counts was quite evident in this recent election. A Sebring charter amendment and a Farmington fire and emergency medical service levy that were winning by a single vote each, according to unofficial totals from the Nov. 4 election, ended up losing by just one vote when provisional ballots were counted. Also, fewer than eight votes separated winners from losers in five races in Trumbull County communities. In one of those races, a candidate won by one vote. “Your vote counts in these races; it sure does,” said Stephanie Penrose, director of the ...

DAVID SKOLNICK: Tim Ryan could wield big impact on governor’s race

Though Democrat Tim Ryan has not pulled the trigger on a gubernatorial bid, all signs point to the former 20-year Mahoning Valley congressman running for the seat. The announcement could come next week or Ryan could wait until early December. Feb. 4, 2026, is the filing deadline for the May 5 primary. During a recent text exchange, Dennis Willard, Ryan’s spokesman, wrote: “He has not made a decision. He has asked his team to prepare to launch a campaign.” In my response to asking if Ryan is getting close to a decision, Willard wrote: “The fact that he has asked us to prepare ...