Incumbent to be challenged in County Executive primary

Email To A Friend
Printer Friendly
Comments

---

by Mark R. Potter

Regional Editor

Cuyahoga Falls -- The race for the Summit County Executive post may not be until Nov. 4, but local challengers have already made it interesting.

Incumbent Democrat Russ Pry will face fellow party member and former Akron City Council member Joe Finley in the March 4 primary.

Finley lost in his September 2007 primary run to oust Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, but managed to garner 47 percent of the vote against the longtime incumbent.

"I believe I have established a firm foundation to continue developing fresh programming and new opportunities for the citizens of this county," stated Pry in an Oct. 24 news release announcing his candidacy. "My administration has a lot of new and exciting initiatives on the horizon."

Pry was appointed by the Democrat Central Committee to replace former Executive Jim McCarthy last summer.

Finley claimed in a Jan. 4 news release that he feels previous administrations have "done little to renew faith in charter government."

"The charter government is the mechanism for regional development. But to say we have regionalism because we have charter government is ludicrous," Finley stated in the release. "Regionalism comes from an understanding between local and county government that just isn't there right now."

Jim Laria, the Republican currently serving as Clerk for the Akron Municipal Court, will not face a challenger on the primary ballot, but will face off against either Pry or Finley in the general election in November.

"Summit County government needs a new direction and new experienced leadership to meet the difficult challenges we face," Laria said in a Jan. 4 news release. "Based on that belief, and supported by the urging of prominent Summit Countians who also feel the need for a fresh start in county government, I have filed petitions for election as Summit County Executive."

Other county races

Incumbent Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh (D) will not face any opposition in her party's primary; however her future opponent in the general election will. Republicans Roe Fox and Nancy Mercurio Morrison, both of Akron, have filed to square off in the primary.

Summit County Clerk of Courts incumbent Dan Horrigan (D) will face Republican Mary Stormer in the general election; however, neither candidate has a primary opponent.

In the race for Summit County Engineer, incumbent Republican Greg Bachman of Akron has filed to run and will not face opposition in the primary. In November, Bachman will face Democrat Alan Brubaker of Akron.

County Fiscal Officer John Donofrio, the Democrat incumbent, will not face any opposition in the primary, but he will in November. William Conte of Norton was the only Republican to file for the seat.

E-mail: mpotter@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3915