Before candidates seek political office, there are a few things they should do.

Among them are to make sure they pay any delinquent property taxes, clear up any outstanding legal issues against them, and if you’ve had problems in the past, don’t ignore them or discount them when this newspaper asks if there are any.

Republican Randy Law, who is running for Trumbull County clerk of courts, didn’t do any of those things.

Republican Dawn Zinni, who is seeking to be Trumbull County recorder, failed to clear up her legal issues — and she has a number of them — and then downplayed them when we asked if she’s ever been involved as a plaintiff or a defendant in any civil legal action, and if so, to explain.

Law is running against Democrat Jennefer Holland for the clerk of courts seat held by Democrat Karen Infante Allen, who isn’t seeking reelection.

Law owes $1,400 in county property taxes on a Warren house he owns at 1446 Clemmens Ave. NW.

Law told me Oct. 7 that he pays some of his back property taxes and continues to carry a debt on it.

Law said he planned to sell the house last week and part of the purchase price was paying the delinquent property taxes. But the sale still hasn’t gone through, according to the county auditor’s website.

Law has two longstanding liens against him, including one that is so old the company no longer exists. One is $3,483 owed for charges in 2009 to the former Sears store, and the other is $2,322 to Chase Bank from 2010. Both are unpaid, and Law gave me no indication he was going to pay either.

The county clerk of courts’ website also listed two liens owed to the clerk of courts — the position Law is seeking – for unpaid court fees.

Law told me he wasn’t aware of either of them.

It turns out a lien for $264 that’s still on the website was closed in 2019 though Law has no idea why.

The other one was for $86 from 2017.

After I told him about it, Law paid it. Because it was so old, it was turned over to the state and he had to pay it through an online state portal.

On this newspaper’s candidate questionnaire, Law checked the “no” box when asked if he’s ever been involved as a plaintiff or defendant in any civil legal actions.

Law said it was an oversight.

Zinni, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Tod Latell for county recorder, owes $102,759 in a Trumbull County Common Pleas Court judgment against her and her failed trucking company. She and the former company, Buckeye Transport Group LLC, have two other lawsuits against them, and Zinni has three cases against her for failing to pay her credit card bills.

All told, the five pending lawsuits seek more than $325,000.

On her candidate questionnaire, Zinni wrote under if she was ever involved in any civil legal action and to explain, wrote: “Was the owner of a small trucking company and was involved in a lawsuit after going out of business due to economy and COVID-19.”

She only acknowledged “a lawsuit.”

None of the other five pending cases are likely to be resolved by the Nov. 5 election.

The two other cases in common pleas court were filed on Jan. 26 and March 19. There are motions for default filed against Zinni.

In the three credit card lawsuits — for a total of $29,680 — in Trumbull County Central District Court, Zinni asked last week for a continuance on two of them, and that was granted. In the third case, which was filed July 2, an extension of time was given for discovery.

Zinni said her business went bad in 2023 because of the economic policies of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

“I would love to have avoided the stress, sleepless nights and humbling experience of falling behind in finances, but no amount of working harder or working smarter could have staved off the crash collision that Biden-(Kamala) Harris’ failing economy brought to my front door,” Zinni said.

Zinni also failed to mention that she was named in 10 lawsuits in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court between 2000 and 2011 for foreclosures, failure to pay state income taxes and other debts. All of those named her as a co-defendant with her then-husband, Greg. They were divorced in 2010. Zinni said she had “little information” on those cases, and Greg is dead.

Skolnick covers politics for the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator.