Republican voters in Butler County will decide in March who will represent the party in the 2020 general election, but most of the decisions have already been made.
Democrats will have even fewer choices as most local races will not have any Democrat seeking office.
Both major political party voters will choose representatives of their respective parties to advance to the November election in March, including nominees for president and National Convention delegates.
Republicans in the GOP-heavy county, though, will have more choices than Democrats, who were last Butler County’s majority party in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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Of the local races, 16 have unopposed Republicans seeking an office, two of which are elections to the state GOP committee. Three out of four Democratic candidates will be unopposed in March.
Butler County Democratic Party Chair Brian Hester said his party’s candidates “will be talking about an agenda that builds an economy that works for anyone willing to work to get ahead, quality and affordable access to health care, and an education system that benefits every child. These are the issues voters actually care about which is why we continue to make major inroads throughout the county.”
The Democrats had made inroads in building the party’s bench with party members being elected to local non-partisan seats, and said, “The days of winning an election by just saying you’re the endorsed Republican in this county are over.”
Butler County GOP Chair Todd Hall said the lack of contested races says people have “confidence in our local elected officials”
“We have a highly qualified and professional team of Republicans, who we screened, endorsed and supported for office,” he said. It proves that our party process does work.”
The GOP will back their endorsed candidates in races where there are no incumbent candidates, Hall said.
Republican voters will only nominate seven local candidates in March, including in the four Statehouse races and 8th Congressional District seat. Democrats will have just one local contested race — the 8th Congressional — to decide before November’s general election.
Arguably, the most high-profile race among the contested seats is for the 4th Ohio Senate District. Incumbent Sen. Bill Coley, R-Liberty Twp., is term-limited — running for the 12th District Court of Appeals — and a trio of Republicans and a Democrat are seeking that seat in Columbus.
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Kathy Wyenandt is seeking to buck the trend of Butler County Democrats not winning partisan races, hoping her message “people over politics” will resonate with voters.
The former county Democratic Party Central Committee chair told the Journal-News “public servants ought to be problem-solvers first, instead of loyalists to any party or special interest.”
“They ought to be rational. They ought to be leaders and bring people together instead of divide folks. Words matter, especially in today’s climate,” she said.
She’ll face the winner of three Republicans, Ohio Rep. Candice Keller, West Chester Twp. Lee Wong and Ohio Rep. George Lang. Lang and Keller are skipping re-election bids for their Statehouse seats in order to run for Coley’s seat.
“As the only conservative in this race, my voting record stands far and above my scandal-ridden opponent,” Keller said of Lang, who was found acquitted of a perjury charge in the Dynus scandal.
Lang said he’ll put “business first” as he and fellow West Chester Twp. trustees had done when he served on the board.
Wong said he won’t go to Columbus with an agenda as he will “do what is best for the people.”
Here are the other contested races in Butler County pending board of elections’ certification:
• 8th Congressional District: Democrats Vanessa Enoch and Matt Guyette; Republicans Warren Davidson and Edward Meer. Davidson is the incumbent congressman from Troy, and Guyette's petitions will be up for certification on Monday.
•12th District Court of Appeals: Republicans Bill Coley, Noah E. Powers II, Matthew Byrne and Mary Lynne Birck. Byrne's petitions will be up for certification on Monday.
• 52nd Ohio House District: Democrat Chuck Horn; Republicans Jennifer L. Gross and Mark Welch. The incumbent is seeking another office, and Welch's petitions will be up for certification on Monday.
• 53rd Ohio House District: Democrat Michelle E. Novak; Republicans Diane Mullins, Jeffrey L. Wellbaum, Thomas Hall and Brett Guido. The incumbent is seeking another office, and Novak, Hall and Guido's petitions will be up for certification on Monday.
• Butler County Common Please Judge (term commencing 2/9/2021): Republicans Heather L. Cady and John M. Holcomb. The incumbent is not seeking re-election.
• Butler County Clerk of Courts: Republicans Mary Swain and Casey R. Hume. Hume's petitions will be up for certification on Monday.
There will be several on the March ballot, most are pending Butler County Board of Elections certification on Monday:
• city of Hamilton Roads (Additional) 3.9-mill levy over 10 years (certified)
• Lemon Twp. Fire District Fire (Renewal) 3.8-mill levy over five years (pending certification)
• St. Clair Twp. Fire Dist. #1 Fire (Additional) 3.5-mill levy continuing levy (pending certification)
• Midpointe Library System Current expenses (Renewal) 0.75-mill levy for five years (pending certification)
• Edgewood City School District Necessary requirements (Substitution) 5.63-mill levy for five years (pending certification)
• Local option for Hamilton Aldi, 1431 Main St., in the Ham16wd1 precinct (pending certification)
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