While the focus of the May 8 primary elections locally seems centered on three races and a large school tax levy---Ohio Governor, 59th Ohio House District, and a Mahoning County Common Pleas and a large school tax levy; the election for the Republican seat as a 33rd District State Central Committee member is drawing a lot of comment.
      In that race, incumbent Tracy Winbush, 137 Greeley Ave., Youngstown, Oh., has two opponents, Corrine Sanderson, of 2385 Chaney Circle, Youngstown, Oh., and Monica Robb Blasdel, of 218 Canterbury Ct., Columbiana, Oh.
      Opposition to Winbush has included claims she voted for a state GOP chairman, Matt Borges, who had a previous criminal record linked to political favoritism, and she also drew ire for supporting President Trump’s efforts to build a wall covering the southern border of the United States and Mexico, while at the same time joining local Democrats in championing a campaign to keep an illegal immigrant, Amer Adi, in Youngstown.
      Winbush acknowledged in Jan., 2017 she voted for Borges as state GOP chairman as sort of a political ‘quid pro quo,’ and said she supported Adi staying in Youngstown, because it was “the right thing to do.”
      Borges was embroiled in pay-to-play scandal in 2004 when Borges was chief of staff to former Republican state Treasurer Joe Deters. Borges plead guilty in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to a misdemeanor count of unauthorized use of a public office for giving preferential treatment to certain brokers who contributed to Deters’ re-election campaign. He paid $1,000 in fines and the record was later expunged.
      Borges’s candidacy for state GOP chairman was a big deal in national politics. His defeat to retain the position was seen as a win for Donald Trump.
      Borges, a key Kasich ally, lost the top job after a series of dramatically deadlocked votes by the state party’s Central Committee. Taking his place is Jane Timken, a prominent Stark County activist and donor.
      Borges led Ohio Republicans to landslide victories in 2014 and 2016. But he was accused of criticizing Trump during the presidential primary and only offering tepid support for the billionaire businessman after he won the GOP nomination.
      Winbush’s candidacy also seems to have spurred current Mahoning County Republican chairman, Mark Munroe, to enter the race for a seat as a 33rd District Republican Committeeman against longtime incumbent, Dave Johnson, Columbiana County Republican chairman.
      Munroe came forward after a Facebook post from Sanderson saying the following:
      “This past Friday, Corrine Sanderson posted a Facebook message to the [Canfield Republican Ladies] club that demands a response.
      “I like Corrine and appreciate how she represented herself during the 2016 campaign for state representative. I also appreciate that she acknowledged that it was through my efforts that she became a candidate in 2016. In addition to being an exciting presidential election year, we had a strong slate of local candidates.
      “However, in her message she complained that she ran with “no help, no money, no campaign manager and a spoiler placed in her race.”
      “Corrine would not have been a candidate if not for the help of the local party. As the filing deadline approached, she lacked the necessary signatures to be a candidate. It was only through the determined efforts of GOP volunteers that Corrine qualified for the ballot. Tracey and I both met with Corrine to discuss campaign strategy. The party offered multiple weeks of training and public speaking assistance. We arranged for a meeting in Columbus to network with other African-American candidates as well as meet with the Ohio House Republican Caucus. I promoted each of Corrine’s events using our email list.
      “Corrine received the same contribution from the party that all eight candidates were offered. Finances were very tight throughout the 2016 campaign season; the potential sale of Summitville Tile had us moving our headquarters to the new Boardman location and we were faced with many extraordinary expenses.
      “In most local races the candidate is usually their own campaign manager. The party offers advice and support as our volunteers are able to provide, but the responsibility of a campaign always rests with the candidate.
      “Corrine’s complaint about a ‘spoiler’ in her race is ridiculous. Corrine seems to suggest that the party is somehow responsible for Andrea Mahone filing as an independent, making it a three-way contest. Andrea Mahone has said that she was motivated by her faith and that she had a calling to run the race. Tracey Winbush and I (and others) met with Andrea to encourage her to withdraw as a candidate to give Corrine the best chance against the Democrat. We also arranged a private meeting between Corrine and Andrea to resolve the problem; Corrine refused to even meet with her. With Andrea’s refusing to withdraw, Corrine’s race became even more difficult. In the end, the combined votes of Corrine and Andrea were less that the votes received by the Democrat, Michelle Hagan.”
      After that political dribble, Munroe address his candidacy for 33rd District State Committeeman.
      “Allow me also to address my candidacy for State Committeeman where I had previously represented our 33rd district in Columbus. After the 2010 census the district boundaries were changed and Columbiana County was merged with Mahoning to form the district. As a result, either Dave Johnson or I would have to give up the seat. Since Tracey Winbush was already representing Mahoning County as Committeewoman, I decided to opt out of the race permitting Dave Johnson to serve as Committeeman, allowing Mahoning County and Columbiana County to both have representation with the state party in Columbus.
      “If Columbiana County is successful in defeating Tracey, Mahoning County Republicans for the first time ever will not have a representative in Columbus. Mahoning County is one of the large Ohio urban counties with twice as many Republicans as Columbiana County. I decided to run to improve the odds we would continue to have a Mahoning County representative on the state committee.
      “Tracey and I both support State Party Chairman Timken; in fact my support of Jane Timken cost me my position on the state racing commission when the Governor’s people were not happy with my support of Jane.
      “Tracey Winbush has served with distinction and honor. With Jane Timken’s support, she is currently Treasurer of the Ohio Republican Party and President of the Ohio Black Republicans Association. Her efforts on behalf of the party have been ongoing and intense.
      “Internal party struggles are not new. But the nastiness of what I am seeing is disturbing on many levels…including letters written to Salem Broadcasting making claims that somehow Tracey’s opponents were entitled to equal time on the radio. These are party positions. Equal access requirements do not apply to internal state party races. That letter cost Tracey her radio program and her livelihood. It also cost the Mahoning Valley a voice in Cleveland and what was to be an entry into the Columbus radio market. This personal vindictiveness needs to stop.
      “Regardless of what side you are on, let’s all make a commitment to come together after election day. There is still much work ahead of us.”
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      After Munroe issued his call to cease personal vindictiveness, a Facebook post identified as coming from Mahoning County GOP Treasurer Mark Mangie appeared on the Columbiana County Democratic Party’s Facebook site.
      In that post, Mangie praised Winbush while seeming to blame Columbiana County Republicans for the mess within the Mahoning County GOP leadership.
      Mangie’s Facebook post included the following:
      “You may have noticed campaign ads for something called the Republican Party Central Committee. This is the governing body for the Ohio Republican Party. Each Ohio Senate district has two spots on the committee...one male and one female. In the last redistricting 10 years ago, Mahoning and Columbiana Counties were joined into one district...which meant that Mark Munroe, Mahoning County Chairman, and Dave Johnson, Columbiana County Chairman, could not both be on the Central Committee.
      “The agreement between the counties was that as long as Tracey Winbush was the female committee member, Dave Johnson would be the male committee member. That came to an abrupt end this year. Tracey Winbush has served with distinction in the state party. She was elected Treasurer. She is also President of the Ohio Black Republican Organization. She chaired Donald Trump’s campaign in Mahoning County. But apparently the folks in Columbiana County weren’t satisfied, and they are running two people against Tracey this year trying to take Mahoning County representation away.
      “In the process, dirty politics stemming from this race...letters written to Salem Broadcasting from one of her opponents...cost Tracey her radio program and her livelihood. It cost the Mahoning Valley its voice in Cleveland, and we were about to make inroads into the Columbus market. Mark Munroe has moved to protect Mahoning County’s interest in Columbus by filing for the male spot against Mr. Johnson now that the tacit agreement has been violated.”
      Mangie’s views did not go over well with Chairman Johnson.
      He made the following reply to Mangie:
      “The following is in response to Atty Mark Mangie’s scurrilous Facebook post being shared to, among others, various Democrat sources in Columbiana County. The charges Mangie makes about Columbiana County GOP chairman Dave Johnson are lies perpetrated by Mark Monroe. And they are utterly shameless.
      “1) There was never any agreement between Mark Monroe and Dave Johnson relative to the Republican State Committee---no such ‘agreement’ was ever even discussed. As the more senior member of the Committee at time of redistricting in 2010 (Johnson having been elected in 1996) - why would Chairman Johnson give up his tenured seat just because of redistricting or offer some sort of quid pro quo to keep it?
      “That never happened the way Mangie (and Monroe) claim.
      “2) Chairman Johnson had absolutely NOTHING to do with Tracey Winbush losing her radio broadcast job and Monroe and Mangie know it. Chairman Johnson would never have done such a thing. This is designed to deliberately besmirch his character in the eyes of Mahoning (and Columbiana) Party loyalists. It won’t succeed.
      “3) Republicans in Columbiana County are supporting Monica Blasdel because she can be counted upon to support Jane Timken...PERIOD. Tracey Winbush did NOT support Jane Timken in her last election...and there’s a statewide effort under way now to oust Chairman Timken at the next Party reorganization, IF the ‘insurgents’ succeed in taking out committeemen like Dave Johnson...PERIOD. The Monroe campaign has NOTHING to do with geographic (county) boundaries...it has everything to do with who the Party can TRUST when it comes to the re-election of Jane Timken. Can Monroe and Winbush be trusted? I wouldn’t bet on it.
      “4) Mahoning County (Republican) collussion (Mangie) with Democrats in Columbiana County to smear the incumbent Republican State Committeeman? How disgraceful. That’s a new low...it ranks right up with the Mahoning County ‘sham endorsement’ process (secret meeting hand selected by Mark Monroe)...and then denying the state GOP Party’s endorsed candidate (Dave Johnson) the right to place an ad in Lincoln Day Banquet program “because he was not endorsed by Mahoning County Party...after first inviting him to do so. Again - how disgraceful. Clarence Smith would never have stooped to these tactics. Mark Monroe should be run out of the GOP Party at next election.”
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      All that being said, the disruption among Mahoning and Columbiana County Republicans was discussed with former Mahoning County GOP Chairman Smith recently. “I would have never allowed this,” Smith said, adding “It wouldn’t happen.”