The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
State legislature race roundup: Callender, Yuko win primaries
Republican Jamie Callender is advancing in his attempt to become the next 61st District State Representative and Democratic Senate minority leader Kenny Yuko held off his primary challenger in the 25th District.
Callender, 53, of Concord Township, is an attorney, professor and a former state representative. He defeated Willoughby Hills City Councilman John Plecnik with 56.33 percent of the vote to 43.67 percent, according to unofficial final results from the Lake County Elections Board.
“Having served four terms in the legislature many years ago, I have watched our institutions decline in their responsiveness and true representative capacity over the years,” Callender said in his News-Herald election questionnaire. “I am at a point in my life where I am not trying to office hop or pad my resume, and I am independent. This status affords me the luxury of having no other agenda than representing Lake County.”
In the November general election Callender will face Perry Village Councilman Rick Walker, who ran as a write-in candidate on the Democratic side.
They are vying to replace state Rep. Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, who is term limited. Young ran unopposed in the Republican primary for Lake County commissioner and will face Democrat and longtime Commissioner Daniel P. Troy in November.
The 61st district consists of Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, Mentor Wards 1-3, North Perry Village, Perry Village, Waite Hill, Willoughby Hills, the townships of Concord, Leroy, Madison, Perry and parts of Painesville Township.
Yuko, 67, of Richmond Heights, is finishing up his first term in the Ohio Senate. He defeated primary challenger state Rep. John E. Barnes Jr. with 58.99 percent of the vote to Barnes’ 41.01 percent, according to unofficial final results from the Lake and Cuyahoga county election boards. He will face Wickliffe Republican Bob Murphy in the November general election. Murphy ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
The 25th District includes Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Grand River, Lakeline, Mentor Ward 4, Mentor-on-theLake, Painesville, parts of Painesville Township, Timberlake, Wickliffe, Willoughby and Willowick in Lake County. It also includes Richmond Heights, South Euclid, Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike and Beachwood among other eastern Cuyahoga County communities.
In a phone interview, Yuko said he might be even happier with the overwhelming passage of the statewide Issue 1 — gerrymandering reform — than his own passage.
“We’re finally making progress we needed to do for a long time,” Yuko said.