Commission candidate could serve from Cuba
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Iocona is a member of the Navy Reserves who left June 4 for a 16-month deployment to Cuba. He didn?t find out about his deployment, however, until he was already on the Aug. 3 ballot as a Republican candidate for 12th District County Commissioner.
?He never really had a chance to get his campaign started,? said his wife, Michelle, who is now spearheading the effort. ?When we found out it was like, boom, and suddenly he was deployed. I?ve had to take over everything, the house, the kids. I?m doing it all.?
Iocona works in Navy intelligence so Michelle says she knows very little about the specifics of his job. She says that?s something she has gotten used to, although this is the first time he has been deployed.
?I?m just glad I get to know where he?s going,? said Michelle. ?And I?m glad he?s in Cuba and not Iraq.?
Even though Iocona will be out of the country Aug. 3, election administrator Donna Yates says there is no reason he can?t be on the ballot.
?As far as I know, military service is not a reason to disqualify someone,? said Yates. ?From an Election Commission standpoint, he?s on the ballot. It?s up to the voters to decide what happens after that.?
The Ioconas have three small children ages 9, 7 and 2. Michelle says it?s for that reason her husband?s main platform is education.
?He would like to bring some new ideas to Warren County,? said Michelle, who said the couple has been well pleased with Bobby Ray Elementary where their two older children attend. ?He would like to be more a part of the process and do whatever needs to be done to help education.?
Michelle admits she won?t have much time to actively campaign for her husband with three children at home. Her main concern is her family.
?I?m sure the longer he?s away, the worse it will be,? said Michelle. ?Right now it?s only been two weeks and the kids don?t know what to expect because daddy has never had to do this before. But this is his job and he?s very patriotic so it?s something he knows he has to do.?