Buschur, Holtvoigt face off in contest

CELINA - Republican Dave Buschur and Democrat Don Holtvoigt will face off in the Nov. 8 general election for a Mercer County commissioner seat.

Dave Buschur

Buschur, 39, said his background as a business owner makes him a qualified contender for the commissioner's seat.

Over his 17-year career, the Republican said he's grown the family business from one truck to 56 trucks, 200 trailers and 65 full-time employees. Buschur said he hopes his business-minded mentality will appeal to voters.

"I manage a company with 65 employees, so I'm good at running a budget," he said. "I'd like to think my business experience and a desire to do the job will help me grow and maybe make the county an even better place to live."

The Maria Stein resident said he was inspired to run for office by his grandfather, who was a township trustee and served on the rural electric co-op board in Darke County for nearly 40 years each.

"I've seen that growing up and it was something I've always been interested in," he said. "I've gotten to the point in my life where my business has grown and I've hired the right people… to do a lot of the jobs that (have) freed me up to focus some of my energy elsewhere."

If elected, Buschur said he believes the housing shortage in Mercer County needs to be addressed.

"If you go almost anywhere in the county there is a housing shortage," he said. "We are having strong population growth, stronger than most rural counties and I think stronger than any rural county in the state. So we do need to figure out housing, because if we don't have housing we don't have extra people that can relocate to this area and work at the many employers that are looking for extra people."

Buschur said he would also seek to continue improving Grand Lake's water quality.

Buschur graduated from Versailles High School and received an associate's degree in business from Wright State University-Lake Campus. He was elected to the Mercer Soil and Water Conservation Board of Governors in 2021 and also is a member of the Lake Improvement Association.

He lives in Maria Stein with his wife, Danielle, and their five children, Madilyn, Brody, Jace, Kensley and Eva.

Don Holtvoigt

Holtvoigt, 67, said his campaign is based on unity through community.

The Democrat is semi-retired after enjoying a 38-year career in human resources that spanned public service, defense contracting, health care, manufacturing and private consulting.

The Celina resident said his years of business experience, volunteer work and interpersonal skills make him a well-equipped candidate for commissioner.

He has served as a substitute teacher at area schools, and is a Jaycee International Senator.

"I'm passionate, a great communicator and listener," he said. "I'm able to read between the lines… and I think I could make a very good impact on the lives of Mercer County residents."

Holtvoigt said he's running because he wants to offer a different point of view to an office that's been long held by Republicans.

"I believe we need a different voice," he said. "We've had the same people in office for a long time, and I want to present a different perspective."

Holtvoigt has numerous issues he'd like to address if elected. For starters, he said he'd like to hold regular town hall meetings to meet with individuals, townships and local governments to better represent constituents at the county level.

On health care, Holtvoigt said he'd like to see the creation of a county-based, affordable health care plan that would be made available for individuals and employers.

Another issue the candidate said he would address would be to foster flood control in the county. He said his decade-long stint with the Miami Conservancy District could bring the right people to the table to design a flood-control system based on historical data that works for Mercer County.

In addition, Holtvoigt said he would like to work with community members and leaders on a county-level solution to the lack of child care in the area.

He and his wife, Mary Ann, have been married for seven and a half years. Holtvoigt obtained a bachelor's degree from Wright State University, where he studied behavioral science and business. He also has three years of graduate study in applied behavioral science with a concentration in communications for consulting and training.

Holtvoigt added he was born and raised in the Catholic church and has 12 years of parochial study under his belt in addition to his secondary education.

"I believe strongly in my faith, and I believe I can take that part of me into governing at the county level," he said.