Officials to face primary fights

CELINA - Members of Mercer County's political establishment will likely be challenged in the primary election on March 17.

The filing deadline for issues and candidates to appear on the primary ballot was 4 p.m. Wednesday. Board of elections members will convene at 3 p.m. Monday to certify petitions ahead of the secretary of state's Dec. 30 certification deadline.

Two county commission seats held by Republicans - the long-entrenched Jerry Laffin and two-termer Rick Muhlenkamp - will be on the ballot. The seats carry four-year terms.

Laffin of Coldwater first took office on Jan. 2, 1981. He'll be challenged in a Republican primary race by Andy Schwieterman, a Celina farmer and chairman of the Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District.

One Democrat, too, has filed to run for Laffin's seat. Don Holtvoight of Celina will appear on the Democratic primary ballot, pending certification of his petitions. He would likely advance to the general election to compete with the winner of the Republican primary.

A second commissioner seat, held by Muhlenkamp of Celina, is also up for grabs. He first took office Jan. 3, 2013. Theresa Howick, the Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District Board vice chairperson and a farmer who lives in Jefferson Township just outside of Celina, has filed to run against Muhlenkamp as a Republican.

No Democrats filed for the seat.

Two Republicans are looking to unseat longtime Republican county coroner Dr. Timothy Heinrichs of Celina, filings show. The position carries a four-year term.

Heinrichs has served as coroner for about two decades, save for a brief period in 2014 when he retired to get state benefits before he filled his own temporary vacancy and later was re-elected.

Neal Evan Holleran of Celina and Norman Means of Rockford both filed to run as Republicans.

No Democrats filed for the position.

The race for Mercer County Probate/Juvenile Court judge finds two Republicans throwing their hats into the ring, setting up a contested primary pending certification of their petitions. The position carries a six-year term.

Current probate/juvenile court judge Mary Pat Zitter is serving her last six-year term. She told the newspaper a few years ago people cannot run for the position after age 70.

Matt Gilmore, a local attorney, Celina City Schools Board of Education member and former chairman of the Mercer County Republican Party, and Donna Post, magistrate of the probate/juvenile court, have both filed to run.

No Democrats filed for the position.

County voters also will see on the ballot the positions held by prosecutor Matthew Fox, sheriff Jeff Grey, clerk of courts Calvin Freeman, engineer Jim Wiechart, treasurer David Wolters and recorder Angie King. All aforementioned officeholders are Republicans. No challengers from either party filed to run.

Celina and Parkway school officials have filed to place issues on the ballot.

Celina City Schools officials are seeking a $69.25 million, 7.4-mill bond issue to fund construction of a 182,122-square-foot middle/high school and renovate the intermediate school to house preschool-sixth grade. They also are seeking a 0.5-mill property tax levy to cover future maintenance costs for the buildings.

Parkway Local Schools officials are asking voters to consider renewing the district's five-year, 1% income tax that generates about $1.175 million annually. The issue must be approved by boards of elections in Mercer, Van Wert and Auglaize counties.

Also, voters in Ohio's 84th House District may see a rematch in 2020.
  Republican Susan Manchester of Waynesfield won her first term as state representative of the 84th District in November 2018 after defeating Democratic rival Joe Monbeck of Wapakoneta.

Both have filed to run again for the seat.