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Voters in both Trumbull and Mahoning counties will see compelling races for commissioner next year.
They should be the most hotly contested local races in both counties.
The two Trumbull County commissioner races in 2020 were close.
Niki Frenchko becoming the first Republican in several years to be elected Trumbull County commissioner when she beat incumbent Dan Polivka, who is also the county Democratic Party chairman, by 4.66 percent. The other saw incumbent Democrat Mauro Cantalamessa get re-elected by 7.8 percent over Denny Malloy, who ran as an independent.
Malloy is running again next year, but as a Republican for the seat currently held by Democrat Frank Fuda.
Fuda is seeking re-election next year to a fifth four-year term.
The big question is: will Fuda run as a Democrat or an independent?
Fuda picked up nominating petitions Wednesday from the Trumbull County Board of Elections to run for commissioner as a Democrat and an independent.
Feb. 2 is the filing deadline for the Democratic primary. The independent deadline isn't until May 2, the day before the primary.
"I haven't made that decision yet," he said. "I'll have a decision sometime after the holidays. I need about 800 signatures for the independent petition and 50 for Democrat. Democrat is a lot easier."
Michael J. O'Brien, a state representative who cannot run next year for re-election because of the term limits law, made it official Tuesday: he's running for Fuda's commissioner seat in the Democratic primary.
O'Brien, a former county commissioner and Warren mayor,should get the county Democratic Party's endorsement regardless of how Fuda runs.
Fuda has had long-standing issues with Polivka and didn't get the Democratic Party's endorsement in 2018. That had no impact on Fuda's success in the primary as he won by 44.1 percent over then-Hubbard Councilwoman Lisha Pompili-Baumiller, who received the party's endorsement by a 91-84 vote.
Fuda aligned himself with Frenchko in her campaign last year, which further alienated him from the Democratic Party establishment. Since then, Fuda and Frenchko have frequently exchanged criticisms.
O'Brien said he doesn't care if Fuda runs or how he runs, he's confident he's going to win.
But if Fuda decides to be an independent, it will significantly change the race as voters would be choosing between Fuda and O'Brien, two longtime Democrats with solid name recognition in the county, and a Republican.
O'Brien against Fuda in the Democratic primary with the winner moving to the general election is very different than O'Brien and Fuda both having their names in front of voters in November 2022.
Malloy is running as a Republican and Christina Lee, a political newcomer, may also seek the GOP nomination.
Malloy had a respectable showing in last year's commissioner election as an independent, getting 46.05 percent of the vote. Had he sought the position as a Republican, it's certainly possible he would have won with Donald Trump at the top of that political party's ticket in 2020.
There were 96,512 voters in the Frenchko-Polivka race compared to 90,649 for Cantalamessa-Malloy. There were a number of people who voted a straight Republican ticket and skipped the latter race with Cantalamessa a Democrat and Malloy with no party affiliation.
Trump won't be on the 2022 ballot. We'll see if Trumbull will vote for another Republican countywide next year.
Mahoning County voters will see the first competitive commissioner's race since Carol Rimedio-Righetti beat incumbent David Ludt in the 2010 Democratic primary. It is expected to be the first time in decades that a Republican has a shot at winning a commissioner's seat in Mahoning. He is Geno DiFabio.
DiFabio, a first-time candidate, is well-known among Republicans for sharing the stage July 26, 2017, at the Covelli Centre with Trump during a rally and for his numerous nationally televised talk show appearances. DiFabio also speaks at numerous county Republican fundraisers and has been a guest speaker in other parts of the state.
He's taking on Rimedio-Righetti, who is seeking her fourth four-year term and has received strong support from voters.
She's going to be tough to beat.