IF TOM MARCELLI FOLLOWS THROUGH ON FILING HIS PETITION TO RUN AGAINST COUNTY AUDITOR KIM PEREZ, HE WILL ENSURE PEREZ'S RE-ELECTION.

Alan Harold, the putative Republican nominee; if he actually runs against county auditor and Democrat Kim Perez, will have no chance at all to defeat Perez if Bethlehem Township political gadfly Thomas Marcelli makes good on filing his petition to run, also.

Why does the SCPR make this observation?

Because any votes that Marcelli gets would be from the right wing of Stark County Republicans and from Democrats and non-partisans who fancy themselves as political teabaggers a la the Canton Tea Party.

None of these votes would ever, ever go to Kim Perez.  Only possible other person they might otherwise (other than Marcelli)?  Indeed, Alan Harold.

The SCPR does not believe that Marcelli understands political lineups and therefore has miscalculated if he thinks his being in the auditor race is going to be a significant factor.

Unless Kim Perez does something incredibly stupd - which is certainly plausible - between now and November 4th, the SCPR is calling this race for Perez on January 30, 2010; especially if Marcelli is in the race.  If not, then Harold has a outside shot.

One further point:  Is Alan Harold going to do a "deja vu, all over again" and pull out of the race like he did when he feigned running against Gary Zeigler for county treasurer in 2008?

The SCPR has been told and has asked Harold to confirm or deny (he refused to comment) that pressure was put on Harold's employer - Huntington Bank - to suggest to Harold that he not run against Zeigler.  


And Harold did not run.

He did run for a slot on the Stark County Educational Service Center (SCESC)and came pretty close to winning one of the two seats that were up for grabs.


The SCPR takes the SCESC run as an exercise in building up countywide I.D.

However, it will take a lot more than running in a "non-partisan" race to take out a powerful Stark County political figure like Kim Perez.