Election 2024: Interview with Mahoning County Commissioner candidate David Ditzler

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – First News sat down with Mahoning County Commissioner candidate David Ditzler to discuss the race.

Watch the full interview in the video above.

Ditzler is running as a Democrat to retain his position. He is running against Geno DiFabio. You can watch DiFabio’s interview here.

Ditzler said he has 35 years in the private sector, mainly working as an executive for a steel company. He said he also has experience as a township trustee and, now, a county commissioner for the past 12 years.

He said there are several projects in Mahoning County that he wants to see completed, including a veterans’ facility, nonprofits to help people with disabilities, efforts to provide Animal Charity Humane Society with government funding, and efforts to reduce property taxes for residents.

Ditzler said electing a county commissioner is like hiring a CEO for a $300 million-a-year corporation. He said that person needs the education, experience and qualifications to handle the issues and negotiate to provide the county with funding that’s “not on the backs of taxpayers.”

He said the biggest challenge will be getting people to understand that the county commissioner’s role is not about national or state politics.

“There’s no partisan politics as a county commissioner. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican. We’re working to serve the needs of the residents of Mahoning County,” Ditzler said.

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