Mentor Area Chamber Hosting Forums With Legislative & County Candidates

The Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a pair of candidate forums in September in anticipation of the November election.

The first will be on Sept. 14 and will feature the candidates for the local seats in the Ohio House and Senate races, as well as the seat for the U.S. Congress.

All totalled there will be candidates from four races represented -- two of which have been shaken up by high-profile withdrawals from the ballot.

For example, incumbent U.S. Republican Congressman Steven LaTourette was slated to face Democratic candidate Dale Virgil Blanchard for the OH-14 seat.

However, LaTourette withdrew from the race -- . His slot on the ballot

Meanwhile, Mentor voters will also be deciding on who they want their representative to be in three state legislative races.

Which races people vote in will depend on which ward they live in, as Mentor was split in two during the state's recent redistricting.

If you live in the fourth ward of Mentor or Mentor-on-the-Lake, you'll be voting for the 60th district seat in the Ohio House. The corresponding state Senate district, the 25th, is not up for election this year.

Mentor-on-the-Lake Mayor and Democrat John Rogers and Republican Lori DiNallo .

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The representatives' 60th district is an open race without an incumbent because its current representative, Bob Hagan, now lives in the 58th district and will be running there.

Similarly, the first, second and third ward of Mentor will vote for the Ohio House's 61st district and the state Senate's 18th district.

It will be facing off on the November ballot for the House seat.

Young is the representative for the 63rd district. However, due to the redistricting, he now lives and is running for re-election in the 61st.

McGuinness is a registered nurse and the Lake Health Board of Directors chairwoman. Both candidates ran unopposed in the primaries.

Likewise, the state Senate race will be between incumbent John Eklund (R-Munson Township) and Democrat Jim Mueller, a Russell Township trustee.

Mentor Chamber President Kevin Malecek said all candidates in the races are expected to be at the forum to make statements and answer questions.

The forum will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sept. 14 at the . And, while some seats are available, people will need to register by the end of the day.

Tickets for the Legislative Candidates Forum are $20 and can be purchased on the Mentor Chamber web site.

Additionally, the Mentor Chamber will hold a Candidates Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 25 at LaMalfa that focuses specifically on candidates in Lake County races.

Candidates for the commissioner, prosecutor, clerk of courts, treasurer, and recorder positions will all be there.

Tickets for the event cost $23 and can be purchased on the Mentor Chamber site.