MOUNT VERNON — The May 5 primary ballot features a contested race for Knox County commissioner.
The filing date was Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Knox County Board of Elections must certify the petitions by Feb. 17.
Butler Township resident Christa Ciotola will challenge incumbent commissioner Bill Pursel in the Republican primary.
That’s a vastly different scenario from the 2024 primary, when seven Republicans vied for two commissioner seats.
According to the elections board, no Democrat filed to run for commissioner.
Republicans Sarah Thorne, county auditor, and Jay Nixon, probate/juvenile judge, submitted petitions for their respective positions.
They will run uncontested in the November General Election unless an independent candidate files later this year.
Write-in candidates for the May 5 primary must file declarations of intent by Feb. 23.
Several Central Committee races are contested:
•Howard A: Mark Hiner (R) and Veronica Hiner (R)
•Howard D: Andrew Frye (R) and Sally Slonaker (R)
•Monroe A: Kim Williams (R) and Scott Zimmerman (R)
•Miller: John Holley (R) and Drenda Keesee (R)
The Board of Elections will have a list of issues available next week.
Ohio House and Senate races
Incumbent Mark Hiner (R) and Democrat Scott Grund are unopposed in the primary for the 98th District state representative race. They will face each other in November.
The 98th District includes the eastern half of Knox County, Coshocton County, and Holmes County.
State Sen. Andrew Brenner and State Rep. Beth Lear could potentially switch offices. Both are Republicans.
Brenner is term-limited in the 19th Senate District and cannot run again.
Lear and Republican Ryan Rivers filed to replace him.
The Republican winner will face Democrat Janet Wagner in the November election. Wagner is unopposed in the primary.
Brenner filed to replace Lear as state representative in the 61st District and will face Republican Shawn Stevens in the primary.
Democrat Vince McGrail is unopposed in the primary.
The 61st House District includes the western half of Knox County and Delaware County.
Candidates filing for statewide offices
According to a release from Secretary of State Frank Larose’s office, the following candidates filed petitions by Wednesday’s deadline to run for a statewide office as a partisan candidate.
U.S. Senate:
- Sherrod Brown (D)
- Jon Husted (R)
- Jeffrey M. Kanter (L)
- William B. Redpath (L)
- Ron Kincaid (D)
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio:
- Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert A. McColley (R)
- Amy Acton, David Pepper (D)
- Heather Hill, Stuart Moats (R)
- Casey Putsch, Kimberly C. Georgeton (R)
- Donald C. Kissick, James L. Mills (L)
- Renea Turner, Jalen Turner (R)
Attorney General of Ohio:
- Keith Faber (R)
- John J. Kulewicz (D)
- Elliott Forhan (D)
Secretary of State of Ohio:
- Bryan Hambley (D)
- Marcell Strbich (R)
- Allison Russo (D)
- Robert Sprague (R)
- Tom Pruss (L)
Auditor of State of Ohio:
- Frank LaRose (R)
- Annette Blackwell (D)
Treasurer of State of Ohio:
- Seth Walsh (D)
- Kristina D. Roegner (R)
- Jay Edwards (R)
Ohio Supreme Court:
- Marilyn Zayas (D)
- Daniel R. Hawkins (R)
Ohio Supreme Court:
- Jill Lanzinger (R)
- Jennifer Brunner (D)
- Colleen O’Donnell (R)
- Ronald Lewis (R)
- Andrew King (R)
“Public service is a patriotic calling, and I want to recognize these candidates for having the courage to get in the arena, as Teddy Roosevelt described it,” LaRose said in the release.
“Our team at the Secretary of State’s office will now work with the county boards of elections to carefully review every petition signature and determine whether each candidate qualifies to appear on the primary ballot.”
