“Lots of Americans follow the day-to-day events in national politics, but in reality, most decisions by the government that actually affect our lives directly are made at the state and local levels,” said John Forren, director of Miami University’s Menard Family Center for Democracy.
Election coverage of this year’s election can be found online at www.journal-news.com/elections, which also includes a link to our Voter Guide.
Here is a list of some of the county’s higher profile races voters will decide on Election Day:
Hamilton
Hamilton City Council will see at least one new member elected. Four people are seeking the three open seats, but only two incumbents are seeking re-election.
Councilman Michael Ryan, a two-time vice mayor, is focusing on challenging Butler County Commissioner Cindy Carpenter in the 2026 Republican primary.
Incumbent councilmembers Joel Lauer and Tim Naab want to return to the board, and challengers Pat Bach, Andrew Conn and Lauren Copas Smallwood also hope to win election on Nov. 4.
Community and economic development, engaging with the city’s youth, and continued transparency with the public are common themes among the candidates.
Fairfield
Fairfield City Council’s three at-large incumbents hope to keep their seats for one more term. All three — Tim Meyers, Gwen Brill and Matt Davidson — would face term limits if they win on Election Day. But political newcomer Keshab Acharya hopes to win one of those at-large spots.
Fairfield City Council is made up of a seven-member governing board plus the the mayor, which is also up for election. Former mayor Steve Miller is uncontested in his bid to return to the seat as current Mayor Mitch Rhodus decided not to run for re-election.
Issues most of the candidates have said they want to focus on include public safety, quality of life, infrastructure projects. Keshab told the Journal-News earlier this month he doesn’t have any specific issues to focus on at that time but wants to learn from residents on issues important to them.
Fairfield Twp.
Fairfield Twp.’s two incumbent candidates are facing four residents who want to serve on the board of trustees, including a former trustee.
The winners of the election will serve with Trustee Joe McAbee on the three-member board.
This is the largest field of candidates for Fairfield Twp. trustee in recent memory. Candidates include incumbent trustees Shannon Hartkemeyer and Michael Berding, and residents Steve Morgan, Todd Dicken, Richard Wheeler and Denise McCoy.
Morgan is a former township trustee and McCoy unsuccessfully ran for a board seat four years ago. Dicken and Wheeler are political newcomers.
All candidates have said Fairfield Twp.’s financial outlook is a top concern.
Middletown
Four candidates, including one incumbent and one former councilmember, are seeking two seats on Middletown’s city council.
Winners of the election will serve with Vice Mayor Steve West, Mayor Elizabeth Slamka and Councilwoman Jennifer Carter on the five-member board, who have terms expiring in 2027.
Candidates include Paul Lolli, former Middletown fire chief and city manager who was appointed to a council seat in October 2024 following the resignation of Councilman Zack Ferrell.
Joe Mulligan, former councilmember who ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in 2023, and newcomers Scotty Robertson and Larri Silas are also seeking election.
All candidates cited economic development, public safety and infrastructure as top issues.
Trenton
Four new people could be elected to Trenton City Council in the upcoming election.
Those elected will join Mayor Ryan Perry and Councilmembers Floyd Croucher and Ray Nichols, who have terms expiring in 2027.
Sharon Montgomery is the only incumbent running for reelection. Councilmembers Calvin G. Woodrey, Jennifer Combs and Dale Perry are not running for reelection.
Candidates Elijah Beeler, Marci Butts, R. Austin Proffitt and Kenneth E. Roark also want to represent Trenton.
All candidates except Beeler, who did not respond to Journal-News’ multiple attempts to contact him, said public safety, infrastructure and economic development are top issues if elected.
Ross Twp.
Ross Twp. will have at least one new member on its board after November’s general election.
Two seats on the trustees’ board are up for election in the Nov. 4 general election. Incumbent David Young, who made headlines this summer with a controversial Facebook post using a racial slur, is asking voters to re-elect him to another four-year term.
His fellow trustee, Keith Ballauer, decided not to seek another term, opening up an opportunity for one or more of the three challengers.
Former Fairfield fire chief Donald Bennett, Hamilton County Coroner’s chief administrator Andrea Hatten and area businessman Anil Lukhi are seeking election.
Each candidate cited economic development, the township’s future and community involvement in township matters as top focuses if elected.
Fairfield City School Board
Four candidates are seeking three open Fairfield School Board seats on its five-member board.
Those elected will join board members Scott Clark and Michael Napier, who have terms expiring in 2027.
Only one incumbent, Abigail Berding-Miller, is seeking re-election.
School board members Jerrilyn Gundrum and Brian C. Begley are not seeking re-election.
In addition to Berding-Miller, candidates John Cline Jr., Kevin McDonald and Nick Salcedo are vying for a spot on the board.
Each candidate cited continued student success and possible cuts to funding for public schools as top issues if elected.
Lakota Local School District
Six candidates are vying for three open Lakota Board of Education seats, each with a four-year term.
Those elected would join board members Julie Shaffer and Douglas Horton, who have terms expiring in 2027.
Incumbents Isaac Adi and Christina French are not running, though incumbent Kelley Casper, who was first elected in 2017, is running for re-election.
Candidates Tommy Montoya, Ben Nguyen, Alex Argo, Elyse Jenkins and Melissa Meyer are hoping for election.
Nguyen, at 18, is one of the youngest school board candidates in recent history seeking a seat. He is a 2025 Lakota West High School graduate and now Miami University student.
Student success, communication and the district’s combined, two-issue tax bond on the ballot are top of mind for candidates if elected.
If approved, the tax bond would significantly change the number of school buildings, adding new schools and seeing older ones closed down.
Montoya, Casper and Argo are supporters of the levy; Jenkins said she supports modernizing the schools but understands “financial realities” for families and seniors.
Meyer and Nguyen do not support the proposed tax increase.
There are nine days until Election Day and there are seven days of in-person early voting remaining this cycle. Those seeking vote-by-mail absentee ballots must submit requests by Tuesday, and any returned mailed-in ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and the elections office must receive it by Nov. 8
