"We're doing everything we were supposed to do. We dotted our Is, crossed our Ts, we got the proper signatures," said Poland Township trustee Eric Ungaro. He's taking the Mahoning County Board of Elections to court as he tries to run for state rep as an independent.

The board said Monday his name wouldn't be on the November ballot after someone in the 59th District sent a protest letter.
It claimed Ungaro hasn't tried in good faith to disaffiliate himself from the Democrat party.

"Don't tell me there was no good faith," said Ungaro as he brought his case to reporters on Thursday.

"We rebranded ourselves hard, can't get any different than blue and black, white and gray," he said. "We even had to index Google to get the 'D' off my name when you typed in 'Eric Ungaro.'"

Ungaro also defended a $100 donation to 64th District state rep candidate Vince Peterson, who's running as a Democrat.

"Vince is like a son to me," said Ungaro. "I gave Marty Desmond, who ran as a Republican against a sitting Democratic prosecutor Paul Gains, a $100 donation as well because I grew up with Marty Desmond, and he's a lifelong friend."

Ungaro ran as a Democrat against the late Don Manning in 2018 and lost.
After redistricting put Youngstown in the same district as Poland, Ungaro says he saw an opportunity.

But what about 2024?

21 News asked him, "If you're allowed to run this time as an independent, what about the next election?" Ungaro replied, "You know the old adage 'you don't leave the girl you brought to the dance?' I'll run as an Independent again."

Ungaro says what happens next is out of his hands. What happens next, in fact, isn't clear. The Board of Elections has five days to respond to this lawsuit.
It's not yet clear when the state Supreme Court will issue its decision.