YOUNGSTOWN — Samantha Turner, Youngstown’s 3rd Ward councilwoman, is the only candidate to file to challenge Mayor Jamael Tito Brown for his seat in the May 6 Democratic primary.

“Honestly, I believe everyone has the right to run,” Turner said Wednesday. “He’s been mayor for the last two terms. I’d like to throw my hat in the ring. Youngstown is ready for a change in leadership, and I know I can provide that change Youngstown is looking for.”

Turner was elected in 2023 to a second four-year term on council.

Brown is seeking his third four-year term as mayor. He is a former council president, 3rd Ward councilman and city school board member.

“I’m excited to have an opportunity for a third term as Youngstown mayor,” Brown said. “I’m not running against anybody. I’m running for a vacant seat. I’m hoping voters will look at my record, what we’ve done and what we plan to do and say, ‘Let’s continue the work we’ve done with economic development and the fiscal responsibility we’ve been able to show.”

Brown added: “Things are moving in the right direction and I want to keep that going. I look forward to having that conversation with voters.”

If Brown is elected in the November general election and fills out the four years, he will be the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history since Patrick Ungaro served 14 years before having to leave at the end of 1997 because Youngstown had a term-limits law at the time. Youngstown mayors no longer have term limits.

Wednesday was the filing deadline for Democratic and Republican candidates for the May 6 primary for a select number of positions in Youngstown and Struthers.

There are also tax issues on the primary ballot in Austintown, Craig Beach, Lowellville and the Poland school district as well as liquor options in Beaver, Berlin, Campbell and Youngstown.

The Mahoning County Board of Elections will meet Monday to certify candidates and issues to the May 6 ballot.

The deadline to file as an independent candidate is May 5, the day before the primary.

Derrick McDowell, founder of the Youngstown Flea, and John White, who tried to run four years ago for mayor but didn’t qualify for the ballot, have both said they plan to run for mayor as independents.

With council President Tom Hetrick, a Democrat, choosing not to run for a second four-year term, council members Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, and Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, filed to succeed him.

Ray is the longest-serving council member, holding the position since 2010, and is council president pro tempore. He unsuccessfully ran for council president in the 2017 Democratic primary.

Ray said he is the best candidate for the job because of his experience.

“I can utilize that experience to work on citywide policies that affect all of us as council president,” he said.

Davis is serving her third four-year term, reelected in the 2023 general election after winning a coin flip in the Democratic primary after finishing in a 223-223 tie with Janet Tarpley. Davis is chairwoman of council’s finance committee and is a retired Youngstown police detective sergeant.

Davis, who is friends with Ray, said she expects a civilized Democratic primary.

Tracy Randall was the lone Republican to file for council president.

Randall ran for 1st Ward councilwoman two years ago, receiving 18.9% of the vote, losing to incumbent Democrat Julius Oliver.

The only other seat up for grabs in Youngstown city government this year is municipal court judge.

Incumbent Republican Renee M. DiSalvo filed for reelection to a second six-year term.

The lone Democrat to file was Marty Hume, a former city law director who lost to DiSalvo in the 2019 general election. In that election, DiSalvo got 42.6% of the vote to 32.3% for Hume and 25.1% for Mark A. Hanni, who ran as an independent and is currently a 7th District Court of Appeals judge.

Hume lost an election in November for the 33rd Ohio Senate District seat to incumbent Republican Al Cutrona of Canfield. Hume received 39.1% of the vote in the district that includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties.

Hume also lost races in 2011 for Girard Municipal Court judge and in 1998 for a seat on the 11th District Court of Appeals.