ELYRIA — Elyria city Councilman Victor Stewart III, D-at large, is joining the race for Lorain County commissioner today.

Stewart said Wednesday evening that he will file the paperwork today to be on the ballot for the May 4 primary election to replace the retiring Betty Blair. He is the fourth Democrat to join the race. Lorain councilman Bret Schuster, Carlisle Township trustee Berry Taylor and former Oberlin councilman Ronnie Rimbert are running, as is Republican Mickey Corbin of Columbia Township.

The deadline to file is Feb. 18. So far, 16 people, including those already declared, have taken out petitions to run for the job.

Stewart’s family has a history in Lorain County politics — his father, Victor Stewart Jr., served as Elyria mayor, as well as on the City Council, and was the county Democratic Party chairman. His brother, Mark, is the county auditor.

Stewart referred to himself as the “late bloomer” of the family, having first gotten into government when he was elected to Council in 2005. He is also a survey chief with Bramhall Engineering and Surveying Co. He and his wife, Lynette, have three sons.

Stewart said that the challenge of working for the diverse county, with both cities and small townships, is an exciting one.

Transparency, especially in the midst of the commissioners’ decision to override the Lorain County Township Association’s preferred representative to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency board, will be essential.

“I don’t think that was the correct approach,” he said, referring to the commissioners’ installation of Wellington Township trustee Virginia Haynes over the recommended LaGrange Township trustee Rita Canfield. “People want to be heard, to have a say in how things are done. I want to bring back trust, openness and transparency.”

But bringing jobs to Lorain County is the top priority, Stewart said.

“We need to find new ways to find jobs,” he said. “Partnership with education institutions like Lorain County Community College, as well as other businesses, is a forward-thinking approach.”

Stewart cited LCCC’s development of green technology education as an example.

“Those are the types of jobs that we can progress forward on,” he said. “We have to think outside of the box.”

Contact Melissa Hebert at 329-7129 or mhebert@chroniclet.com.

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