Board of Elections announces official May 5 primary ballot

With the May 5 primary election approaching, the Highland County Board of Elections recently released the official list of candidates and issues to appear on the ballot, including local and state races as well as U.S. Senate and Congress seats.

As previously reported, each Highland County Common Pleas Court judge seat has two Republican candidates running for office this May. As there are no Democratic candidates filed, the primary will effectively determine both seats, so anyone wishing to elect the local judges will have to request a Republican ballot.

For the General Division (felony court), Hillsboro attorney Kathryn Hapner and Greenfield attorney John Judkins are running for office, while for Juvenile and Probate Court, candidates are Hillsboro attorneys Allyce Horne and Denny Kirk.

Local candidates running unopposed are Highland County Commissioner Brad Roades (Republican), Highland County Auditor Alex Butler (Republican) and Hillsboro City Treasurer Tom Zile (Republican). Zile, who was appointed to the position, is running as a write-in candidate to fill the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2029.

There are a total of five issues on the ballot, with Issue 1 being a proposed 1.25-percent income tax for current expenses for East Clinton Local Schools. Voters in parts of three precincts (Fairfield W, Penn and Union) will see this on their ballot, while it will also be considered by voters in parts of Clinton and Fayette counties.

Issues 2, 3 and 4, for the Village of Greenfield (Greenfield North), are all local options for Sunday liquor sales. 

Similarly, Issue 5, for Paint Southwest, is a local option for Sunday sales at the Rocky Road Sunoco.

For Highland County central committees, candidates listed are as follows:

• Democratic Central Committee: Kit Lowe (Hillsboro Northeast); Mary Hamilton (Hillsboro Northwest); Charlotte Harbut (Hillsboro Southeast); Pamela Limes (Hillsboro Southwest B); Freddie Snyder (Leesburg); Jennifer Waterman (Fairfield West); Mindy M. Walker (Lynchburg); Mary Hawthorne (Dodson); Andy West (Whiteoak); John Knauff (Brushcreek); Jim Spurlock (Concord); Jolene Walker (Liberty Northeast); Linda Emery (Liberty South); Rob McCray (Madison); Dinah Phillips (Marshall); Joyce D. Ford (New Market); Linda K. Griffith (Paint North); Angela Mustard (Paint Southeast); Carol Gratsch (Paint Southwest); Paul Hughes (Salem); and Bill Kincaid (Union). There are no candidates filed for Greenfield North, Greenfield South, Hillsboro Southwest A, Fairfield East, Clay, Hamer, Jackson, Liberty Northwest, Penn or Washington.

• Republican Central Committee: Phyllis Matlack (Greenfield North); Tracy Aranyos (Hillsboro Northeast); Jeffrey A. Beery (Hillsboro Northwest); Roger Huffman (Hillsboro Southeast); Jan Vosper (Hillsboro Southwest A); Richard R. Donley (Hillsboro Southwest B); Shawn C. Priest (Leesburg); Ken Davis (Fairfield West); Richard L. Warner Jr. (Dodson); Linda K. Roush (Whiteoak); Jeff Ryan (Brushcreek); Matthew Willis (Clay); Chuck Emery (Concord); Philip John Weyrich (Jackson); Randy Sanders (Liberty Northeast); Montey Scott (Liberty Northwest); Terry L. Britton (Liberty South); Joanna Mahan (New Market); Roger Ruggles (Paint Southwest); Tina Hughes (Penn); Karen Faust (Salem); and John B. Setty (Washington). There are no valid candidates for Greenfield South, Fairfield East, Lynchburg, Hamer, Madison, Marshall, Paint North, Paint Southeast or Union.

For state races, Republican voters can choose from one of three governor/lieutenant governor options, including candidates Heather Hill/Stuart Moats, Casey Putsch/Kimberly C. Georgeton and Vivek Ramaswamy/Robert A. McColley. Don Kissick/James L. Mills are running on the Libertarian ballot, while Libertarians Travis Jon Voght/Christy Jo Orr are write-in candidates. Democratic candidates Amy Acton/David Pepper are running unopposed in the primary.

However, Democrats will have a choice in the primary in the Attorney General’s race, between candidates Elliot Forhan and John J. Kulewicz. Republican Keith Faber is unopposed.

There is an opposed race for Secretary of State, with two Democrats in Bryan Hambley and Allison Russo, plus two Republicans in Robert Sprague and Marcell Strbich. Libertarian Tom Pruss is also running.

Republicans can choose can between Jay Edwards and Kristina D. Roegner for Treasurer of State, as the Democratic candidate is Seth Walsh.

There are four Republicans vying to face current Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, in the November election. Republican candidates are Andrew King, Jill Lanzinger, Ronald Lewis and Colleen O’Donnell.

Former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown will face Ron Kincaid in the Democratic primary, while Libertarians Jeffrey M. Kanter and William B. Redpath are also running to face current Senator Jon Husted (Republican) this November.

Current U.S. Representative (15th District) Mike Carey will face Samuel Ronan in the Republican primary, while Democrats may choose between Don Leonard and Adam C. Miller. Also running for the Congressional seat is Libertarian Brennan Barrington.

Both the male and female Democratic state central committee races are opposed. The male candidates are Chase Brown and Terry Williams, while the female candidates are Stacy Brooks and Barbara J. Ward.

For the Auditor of State race, candidates are Democrat Annette Blackwell, Republican Frank LaRose and Libertarian write-in candidate Aidan Michael Jeffery.

Current Supreme Court Justice Daniel Hawkins, a Republican, is unopposed in the primary and will face Democrat Marilyn Zayas this November.

State Senator Shane Wilkin and State Representative Bob Peterson, both Republicans, are unopposed this May. Wilkin will face Democratic candidate Brian A. Deer in November, while Peterson will run against Democratic Amy Wright.

The Republican state central committee representatives, Russ V. Moore and Bonnie Ward, are unopposed.

Also unopposed is Fourth District Court of Appeals Judge Peter B. Abele, a Republican.

The voter registration deadline is April 6, with early voting starting April 7.

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