The Stark County Political Report has learned that Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. will not be running for mayor of Massillon in the May, 2015 Democratic Party primary election.
Yesterday, well known Massillonian J. David Ress (of Massillon Magazine) took out petitions to run in the 2015 Democratic primary against sitting Democratic mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry.
Ress told the SCPR about his pulling petitions last evening and implied that he did so with the blessing of Cicchenlli.
Had Cicchinelli, mayor for 28 years prior to being defeated by the current mayor in the 2011 Democratic Party primary, not made up his mind to run, Ress would not have pulled petition, so the SCPR thought.
Early today The Report confirmed with Cicchinelli that he has in fact decided to run.
Does this mean that one should count Cicchinelli out of a November general election race?
Perhaps not.
One thing for folks to look for is whether or not Cicchinelli actually votes in the May Democratic primary.
For if he doesn't, folks like yours truly will be pondering the significance of his not having done so.
Would such a development mean that Cicchinelli is positioning himself to run as an "independent" and thereby making it a three way race between himself, Republican Lee Brunkhart and Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry?
Even Ress himself understands that he is in his own words to the SCPR "a dark horse" candidate to take the mayor out in May.
His lack of political sophistication could actually turn out to be an advantage in a run against Catazaro-Perry and prime base of Massillon political support; namely, Johnnie A. Maier, Jr's Massillon Political Machine (MMPM).
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