Miami County’s Board of Elections reported few problems during the March 15 primary election in which Dave Duchak was selected as the Republican nominee for sheriff and Tony Kendell re-elected as prosecutor.
The two races for county commissioner saw Jack Evans of Monroe Township returned to his commission seat while challenger Greg Simmons, also of Troy, defeated Commissioner Richard Cultice of Troy.
All votes totals released election night from the board are unofficial and do not include provisional ballots cast that day. Elections staff said 455 provisional ballots were cast. Turnout for balloting was 47.25 percent.
Unofficial totals in the race for sheriff showed Duchak, the chief deputy for Sheriff Charles Cox, with 7,882 (33.8 percent) followed by Paul Reece with 6,875 (29.71 percent), Chris Anderson with 5,630 (24.33 percent) and Steve Cooper with 2,813 (12.16 percent).
Duchak of Troy will face independent Joe Mahan, a former chief deputy for Cox, in November. Mahan, who had announced intentions to run earlier, filed his petitions March 11 with the elections board. The board still must certify those petitions.
“I was expecting it to be close all along,” Duchak said of the four-way race. The door for the office opened with the decision by Cox to not seek re-election in this his 28th year as sheriff.
“I am extremely grateful for the voters support, Sheriff Cox, Lynn Cox and my family,” he said.
Duchak said the race was not an easy one. “I look forward to being the Republican nominee in the fall,” he said.
Reece, a former deputy in Miami and Montgomery counties, said he was blessed to have the opportunity and experience to run.
“I want to thank my family and friends and all those who supported us during the campaign. We ran a clean, positive goal oriented campaign on the issues that we felt were important to the public,” Reece said. “It was clearly a close race with a thin margin. We must all take wins and losses with dignity and respect and move forward.”
In the race for prosecutor, the unofficial totals showed Kendell of Piqua with 13,220 votes (62.12 percent) to 8,060 (37.88 percent) for challenger Mel Kemmer of Troy.
“I just want to thank the voters of Miami County for their faith and confidence in me,” Kendell said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve and I will continue to do so in the future as in the past.”
Kendell said he was disappointed that “my opponent and his supporters went negative” with campaign literature. “The Miami County voters saw right through that. We don’t have room for that in Miami County,” he said.
Kemmer said Election Night he “congratulated him (Kendell) heartily.”
“We fought the good campaign. We had lots of people who supported me. I feel bad for them, but Tony is the winner,” Kemmer said.
In the race for one commission seat, Simmons, making a second bid for the commission, defeated Cultice, a commissioner since 2011. The unofficial totals showed Simmons with 11,950 (59.38 percent) to 8,175 (40.62 percent) for Cultice.
Simmons said he was surprised by the margin of victory. “The people have spoken,” he said. A difference between this campaign and one he embarked on in 2014 was the number of people who joined him to work on the campaign, Simmons said.
“I have all the respect in the world for Mr. Cultice and what he has done. It was a good race,” Simmons said.
“I would like to wish Mr. Simmons good luck in the future upon assuming his new responsibilities,” Cultice said. “I want to thank those who supported me over the past years, allowing me the opportunity to serve the community. A special thanks to my wife, family and friends, who have helped make it possible.”
In the second commission race, Evans held onto his commission seat in a race with political newcomer Cindy Lillicrap of Piqua.
The unofficial vote showed Evans with 11,481 (53.36 percent) to 10,037 (46.65 percent) for Lillicrap.
“I am real happy the voters did recognize what we have been able to accomplish with a balanced budget, technology,” Evans said. “I am very pleased to once again represent the citizens of Miami County. It is a real pleasure.” He thanked the voters and family, including his brother, Stan.
Lillicrap said she was glad she decided to make a bid for elected office.
“Thank you to everyone that voted for me and worked hard to help me try to change the good ole’ boys club. To run for an office is an interesting adventure and I am happy having done this,” she said.
Voters in the Troy City School District renewed a 5.8-mill operating levy. The unofficial vote was 5,955 (63.43 percent) for the levy and 3,433 (36.57 percent) against.
The levy first was approved in 1996 and has been renewed for five years four times. This request also was for five years.
The levy generates $3,435,434 a year and costs the owner of a home with a $100,000 tax value 19 cents a day, district Superintendent Eric Herman said.
