Displaying items by tag: primary election

Ohio's current Republican Governor Mike DeWine will face off against former Dayton Mayor and Democratic challenger Nan Whaley in November's General Election. Whaley now the first female ever to receive a major party nomination for Governor in Ohio. DeWine, meanwhile, beat out Wadsworth Republican Jim Renacci and others, with 48-percent of the vote.   
 
"Hillbilly Ellegy" author turned politician J.D. Vance beat out former State Treasurer Josh Mandel and others to win the GOP Primary for a shot at Ohio's U.S. Senate seat and will face Youngstown Representative Tim Ryan, who won the Democratic Primary Tuesday. Vance won 32-percent of the vote in the GOP Primary while Tim Ryan was the runaway Democratic favorite, taking nearly 70-percent of the vote. The two will meet in November to see who replaces outgoing Senator Rob Portman.
 
Akron Democratic State Representative Emilia Sykes ran unopposed to fill Tim Ryan's 13th District Congressional Seat - She'll face Republican Madison Gesiott-Gilbert in the fall.
 
In their volatile Democratic Primary rematch, Shontel Brown beat out Nina Turner in Ohio's 11th Congressional District race.
 
Frank LaRose beat out challenger John Adams in the Republican Primary for Secretary of State. The incumbent will face Chelsea Clark who ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary.
 
Click here for more statewide results. 
Published in Local News
Wednesday, 05 September 2018 11:47

Akron's Primary Move in the Hands of the Voters

Akron voters will decide in November whether or not the city's primary election will be held in September, as it has been, or move to May, as the Mayor's Office is proposing.

City Council held a special meeting Tuesday, approving the ballot measure, after the Board of Elections verified more than 6,100 signatures that Mayor Dan Horrigan's Office collected. The Mayor's efforts exceeded the requirement per the Board of Election, as he actually collected nearly 9,200, and only needed a little more than 4,200 valid, Akron resident's signatures.

See the full press release from the City of Akron below: 

Akron, Ohio, September 5, 2018  A ballot measure to move the local primary election from September to May—to better comply with state law regarding overseas and military ballots, increase voter turnout and save taxpayer money—will come before Akron voters this November. More than 6,100 Akron voters signed petitions submitted to Council, requesting the opportunity to vote on the issue. The grassroots petition effort spearheaded by Mayor Horrigan, Council President Sommerville and Vice President Fusco well exceeded the number of signatures required to place the issue on the ballot. Council approved the petition-initiated measure at a special meeting held yesterday evening. 

The May primary proposal was first announced in early July as a joint effort by several Summit County communities that currently hold primaries in September. September primaries, which predate early voting laws, now conflict with state law intended to ensure overseas voters, including active duty military, can participate fully in local elections. This change would provide ample time for the Board of Elections to certify results before the general election. For Akron, a May primary would save taxpayers more than $80,000 each election and could increase voter turnout by about 46%. Cities in 85 out of 88 Ohio counties and the State of Ohio already hold primaries in May.

A majority of Akron City Council supported the ballot measure. However, five Council members (Sims, Omobien, Neal, Kilby, and Milkovich) opposed placing the issue before Akron voters. Therefore, the petition process was initiated and successfully completed to enable Akron voters to decide when their local primary should be held. Pleased with an efficient and effective petition drive, Mayor Horrigan added, “This is democracy at work. City and Council leadership felt strongly that this is exactly the type of issue that should be put before voters. Our petition signers agreed, and helped us put this common-sense measure where it belongs, which is on the ballot.”

More information about the May primary proposal is available here. The ballot measure will be assigned an issue number by the Board of Elections next week. It will be presented to Akron voters on the upcoming November ballot as provided below:

Shall Section 4 of the Charter of the City of Akron be amended to move the primary election date for municipal elections to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May consistent with the primary election date established by state law?

YES

NO

 

Published in Local News
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 11:50

Mayor: Voters to Decide on Primary Date

Akron City Council was one vote shy of passing a measure that would have moved the City's primary election from September to May. 

But Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan says the fight isn't over. 

Mayor Horrigan's office has been a vocal proponent of moving the Primaries, and for a number of reasons, as the Mayor tells the 1590 WAKR Newsroom. Those reasons being that the city would save roughly $84,000 per year, that voter turnout would be higher, and that the city, by aligning the primary with the statewide primary, would be in compliance with a state law regarding the timing of when absentee ballots are sent to overseas voters and military voters. 

Opponents within City Council claim that the primary move is of a political nature and favors incumbents, adding that minority candidates are hurt by a shorter primary season as they're unable to raise enough money to give themselves a fighting chance in the eleciton. 

To his opponents, Mayor Horrigan says, "I'll do a serious debate with anybody across the City to be able to convince people to be able to do this, and if there's a real opposition to this, let the voter's decide... and we'll live with the results just like everybody else." 

The Mayor is committed to getting the necessary 4,200 signatures from Akron residents to get the measure on the November ballot, saying it should be up to the voters to decide. 

Published in Local News