Working families back a candidate with 27 years in Ohio courtrooms, as campaign builds toward November

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Mahoning/Trumbull Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, has endorsed Terry Grenga for Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division. The Labor Council’s Executive Board and Delegates voted to endorse, and the Council has committed to informing its affiliated unions and members across both counties.

The endorsement carries the weight of the Valley’s organized labor community into a race that will decide who hears the county’s divorce, custody, and child support cases for the next six years.

“The families who come through Domestic Relations Court are working people having the hardest year of their lives,” Grenga said. “They are worried about their kids, their paychecks, and whether anyone in that courtroom is going to listen to them. I am grateful that the men and women of the Labor Council believe I will.”

“Our Executive Board and our Delegates looked at this race and made a clear choice,” said Larry Fauver, President of the Mahoning/Trumbull Central Labor Council. “Terry Grenga has spent 27 years in Ohio courtrooms, and she has spent that time working for families who cannot always afford to be heard. That is the kind of judge the Valley needs.”

The endorsement follows a well attended fundraiser on August 26 at Avalon Downtown Pizzeria in downtown Youngstown, where supporters from across the legal, business, and faith communities gathered in support of the campaign. The committee is now planning a second fundraising event for October, as the campaign moves into its final stretch before Election Day.

The Labor Council was the second organization to formally endorse Grenga, following the Youngstown Warren Black Caucus in March, whose letter of support was signed by Rev. Kenneth L. Simon and Jaladah Aslam.

Grenga has litigated cases throughout Ohio for 27 years, serving as a prosecutor, an assistant law director, and a defense attorney. She is the defense attorney coordinator for the Mahoning County Drug Court, working alongside the Honorable Judge John M. Durkin to connect participants with treatment and reunite them with their families. She volunteers at the Mahoning County Domestic Relations self-help clinic, assisting families who cannot afford to hire counsel.

“Access to justice should not depend on your ability to pay,” Grenga said. “Behind every case file is a real family. As Domestic Relations Judge, I will make sure everyone who walks into my courtroom is treated with the dignity they deserve.”

The Domestic Relations judgeship appears on a nonpartisan ballot. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early in person voting begins October 6, and the voter registration deadline is October 5.

About Terry Grenga: Terry Grenga is a candidate for Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division. A member of St. Patrick’s Church in Youngstown and a volunteer at Saint Charles School, she has spent nearly three decades serving Mahoning County families in the courtroom and in the community. Learn more at GrengaForJudge.com.