2026 Primary Election results

A total of 3,238 voters cast ballots in the local 2026 primary election, a 21.41 percent turnout of the county’s 15,122 registered voters. Election summary results show 1,236 votes were cast by walk-in absentee ballot, 72 by paper absentee and a combined 1,930 on election day at the county’s various vote center locations.

Complete primary election results for local office races were as follows:

Circuit Court II Judge, 78th Judicial Circuit (Republican)
*Kelsey B. Hanlon – 2,232

Prosecuting Attorney, 78th Judicial Circuit (Republican)
*Ashley M. Fleetwood – 1,520
Benjamin C. Kim – 937

Prosecuting Attorney, 78th Judicial Circuit (Democrat)
*Kristin Szczerbik – 531

Circuit Court Clerk (Republican)
*Diane Stutsman – 2,045

Circuit Court Clerk (Democrat)
*Nicholas Pecenica – 506

Commissioner, District 1 (Harrison, Montgomery, Taylor or Wayne Township residency) (Republican)
Jeffery Johnson – 973
*Norman C. Warner – 1,288

Coroner (Republican)
*Shelby Hershberger – 1,305
Timothy R. Wright – 1,075

County Council, District 1 (Harrison, Montgomery, Taylor, part of Washington, or Wayne Townships residency) (Republican)
*Loretta Foster – 313
Lori L. Warner – 259

County Council, District 1 (Harrison, Montgomery, Taylor, part of Washington, or Wayne Townships residency) (Democrat)
*Sandra K. Calvert – 138

County Council, District 2 (Part of Washington Township residency) (Democrat)
*Anton Karl Neff – 155

County Council, District 3 (Jackson, Jennings, Lafayette, part of Marion, or Morgan Townships residency) (Republican)
Don Bingham – 170
*Lynda Sands – 175
Mark Anthony Searcy – 131

County Council, District 3 (Jackson, Jennings, Lafayette, part of Marion, or Morgan Townships residency) (Democrat)
*Mark Snapp – 95

County Council, District 4 (Clay, Franklin, Jefferson, or part of Marion Townships residency) (Republican)
*Andy Wood – 624

Recorder (Republican)
*Nicole VanDerMoere – 1,991

Recorder (Democrat)
*Joseph Newman – 522

Sheriff (Republican)
Sam Hobbs – 712
*Ryan T. White – 1,865

Surveyor (Republican)
*Amy L. Meier – 1,344
Pamela Rogers – 885

Treasurer (Republican)
*Shelly Townsend – 2,022

Township Trustee – Clay (Republican)
*Debbie Keith – 180
Marjorie Ann Clouse – 147

Township Trustee – Franklin (Republican)
*Leroy Gentry – 170

Township Trustee – Jackson (Republican)
*Bradley Salsbury – 91

Township Trustee – Jefferson (Republican)
*Daryl Kasper – 122

Township Trustee – Jennings (Republican)
*Susan M. Huftel – 61

Township Trustee – Lafayette (Republican)
*Doris Scully – 135

Township Trustee – Marion (Democrat)
*James Elliott III – 17

Township Trustee – Montgomery (Republican)
Amanda L. Huntington – 46
*M. Sue Carpenter – 72

Township Trustee – Morgan (Republican)
*Dave Davies – 128

Township Trustee – Morgan (Democrat)
*Collin Rotella – 26

Township Trustee – Washington (Republican)
*Patty Edwards – 656

Township Trustee – Washington (Democrat)
*Phillip O'Neil – 203

Township Trustee – Wayne (Republican)
*Linda Ann Studer – 143

Township Trustee Board – Clay (Democrat)
*Jacob Balash – 77

Township Trustee Board – Franklin (Republican)
*Denise Line – 109
Kimberly S. Voelker – 105

Township Trustee Board – Franklin (Democrat)
*Shea B. Finnegan – 27
Bruce McCallister – 22

Township Trustee Board – Harrison (Republican)
*Catherine Richardson – 26
Clarence Walls – 21

Township Trustee Board – Jefferson (Republican)
*Richard L. Hofmann – 117

Township Trustee Board – Jefferson (Democrat)
*Athena Goulet – 19

Township Trustee Board – Jennings (Republican)
*Ernest M. DuFault – 64

Township Trustee Board – Lafayette (Republican) (Vote for 3)
*Randy Hendershot – 94
*Brenda Miller – 82
*Kenneth Sebastian – 95

Township Trustee Board – Marion (Republican) (Vote for 3)
*Paul Culler – 83
*Roberta L. Harden – 77
*Ethan L. Wood – 89

Township Trustee Board – Montgomery (Republican) (Vote for 3)
*Douglas K. Carpenter – 82
*Janet Long – 71
*Ermond V. Poore – 74

Township Trustee Board – Morgan (Republican) (Vote for 3)
*Rita Shunk – 58
*Sharon Close – 99
*Ronald A. Jackson – 107

Township Trustee Board – Morgan (Democrat)
*Stephanie Barlow – 26

Township Trustee Board – Washington (Republican) (Vote for 3)
*SDaniel L. Melton – 380
*Suzanne Simmerman – 447

Township Trustee Board – Washington (Democrat) (Vote for 3)
*Susan A. Ciresi – 158
*Julie Coffin – 188
*Ruth A. Jones – 163

Township Trustee Board – Wayne (Republican) (Vote for 3)
*Debra L. Wampler – 148

Precinct Committeeman – Clay (Democrat)
*Jacob Balash – 28

Precinct Committeeman – Franklin (Democrat)
*Shea B. Finnegan – 20
Bruce McCallister – 16

Precinct Committeeman – Jackson (Democrat)
*Kristin Szczerbik – 27

Precinct Committeeman – Lafayette (Democrat)
*Mark Quigley – 35

Precinct Committeeman – Montgomery (Democrat)
*Sandra K. Calvert – 38

Precinct Committeeman – Morgan (Democrat)
*David Henk – 28

Precinct Committeeman – Washington 1 (Democrat)
*Anton Karl Neff – 102
Jane Rubeck – 15

Precinct Committeeman – Washington 2 (Democrat)
*Jo Ann Neal – 67

Democratic Convention Delegate (5 selected)
Jo Ann L. Neal – 276
*Jacob Balash – 316
*Stephanie Barlow – 280
Frank Coffin – 269
*Julie Coffin – 339
Collin Rotella – 131
Aliyah Keuthan – 113
*Jane Rubeck – 315
Mark Quigley – 139
*Kristin Szczerbik – 349

Republican Convention Delegate (7 selected)
*Verl Keith – 1,844
*Andrew Horning – 1,616
*Denise Line – 1,613
*Kelsie Risk Reyes – 1,508
*Kristi Risk – 1,546
*Lori L. Warner – 1,681
*Norman Warner III – 1,786

In the following races, only the results from Owen County are known at this time and are as follows: 

United States Representative, Eighth District (Republican) (Owen County Results Only)
*Mark Messmer – 1,952

United States Representative, Eighth District (Democrat) (Owen County Results Only)
*Mary Allen – 296
Mario Foradori – 34
Christopher Rector – 80
Tabitha Zeigler – 128

State Senator, District 39 (Republican) (Owen County Results Only)
Tanner Bouchie – 133
*Jeff Ellington – 651
Kristi Risk – 396

State Senator, District 39 (Democrat) (Owen County Results Only)
*Joseph Baughman – 220

State Representative, District 46 (Republican) (Owen County Results Only)
Thomas L. (Tom) Arthur – 951
*Bob Heaton – 1,497

State Representative, District 46 (Democrat) (Owen County Results Only)
*James H. Pittsford (Jimmy), III – 528

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