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YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Board of Elections declined to certify Democrat Michael L. Kripchak as a candidate for the 6th Congressional District because of a lack of valid signatures on his nominating petitions.
The problem for Kripchak, of Youngstown, a first-time candidate, is he had signatures from residents of Mahoning and Columbiana counties on the same petitions, said Thomas McCabe, board chairman.
When there are multiple counties in a district, such as the 6th Congressional, each petition can have signatures of registered voters from only one county under state law, McCabe said. Language stating that is on the petitions.
Kripchak's two petitions had a total of 46 signatures from Mahoning County and 21 from Columbiana County, McCabe said.
A majority of the signatures were from Mahoning, so that county's elections board kept the petitions and found that 41 of the 46 signatures were valid, McCabe said.
The board didn't send the petitions to the Columbiana County Board of Elections to verify the signatures from voters there because of the issue, he said.
Congressional candidates running in the primary need at least 50 valid signatures. The board voted 4-0 to not certify Kripchak.
Board Chairman David Betras said: "Philosophically, it's abhorrent to me that we make it not as easy as possible to run for office. The more people that run the better it is for our community. Philosophically, that's how I feel. But I am also obligated by my oath to follow the law and if that's what the law is then, you know, it rubs me the wrong way. I have to follow the law."
McCabe said, it's an easy mistake to make for a first-time candidate."
The board certified the four other Democrats and the four Republicans who filed for the congressional seat.
The Democrats are Louis G. Lyras of Campbell, Shawna Roberts of Belmont, Eric S. Jones of Austintown and Martin Alexander of Boardman.
The Republicans are incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, Michael S. Morgenstern of Poland, John Anderson of Enon and Gregory M. Zelenitz of Belmont.
The Ohio Supreme Court still needs to determine if the congressional districts drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission are constitutional.
The primary is scheduled for May 3.
The 6th District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.