Early voting begins on Wednesday

Portland will play host to three of the four contested races in the primary election, for which voting begins Wednesday.
There are races for both the Republican and Democratic nominations for mayor of Portland, as well as one for the District 3 city council seat. The other contested race is for Democratic nominations for Redkey Town Council.
Early voting begins at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Jay County Courthouse, and election day is May 5. Voting hours at the courthouse will be 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday until May 1. The courthouse will also be open for voting from 8 a.m. to noon May 2 and from 8:30 a.m. to noon May 4.
Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman, a Democrat, is facing a challenge in the primary from former street and parks department superintendent Jeff Harker.
Geesaman is in the last year of his first term as mayor of Portland after defeating Republican incumbent Bruce Hosier 768-630 in the 2011 general election. Local Democrats chose him in 2009 to fill out the term of retiring clerk-treasurer Linda Kennedy, and he ran unopposed for his party’s nomination for that office before joining the race for mayor following the primary.
Harker led Portland’s street and parks department for nine years before Geesaman replaced him with current superintendent Ryan Myers in 2012. He served as a Portland police officer for 23 years, including two as chief.
Two Republicans — Milo Miller Jr. and Doug Blankenbaker — are also seeking their party’s bid to run for mayor of Portland in the general election.
Miller served in county government for more than three decades, spending his first 10 years as a councilman. He was then elected to six terms — 24 years — as a Jay County Commissioner.
Blankenbaker worked as a full-time Portland firefighter for 21 years, serving as chief of the department for a decade. He worked for the city’s street and parks department for nine years, and joined the staff at the wastewater treatment plant in 2014.
Michele Brewster and Mark Iliff will square off for the Republican nomination for the District 3 seat on Portland City Council. No Democrats have filed to run for that seat, which is currently held by Brewster’s husband, Michael.
Redkey Town Council has four Democrats vying for three spots on the November ballot. Incumbents Greg Curme and Ted Friddle are seeking to hold their seats while facing challenges from former councilmen Doug Stanley and “Watermellon” Jim Phillips.
Council president Kyle Champ is not running for re-election after leading the voting in the 2011 general election.
The only Republican to file is David Dudelston, who lost a bid for re-election in November.
Other candidates who are uncontested in the May primary are:
DEMOCRAT
Portland City Council
District 2
Mark Hedges

Portland City Council
At-large
Judy Aker

Dunkirk Mayor
Dan Watson

Dunkirk clerk-treasurer
Phonnie Kesler

Dunkirk City Council
District 1
Jack Robbins

Dunkirk City Council
District 4
Lisa Street

Dunkirk City Council
At-large
Tom Johnson

Redkey clerk-treasurer
Debbie James

Salamonia Town Board
Donald M. Shauver
REPUBLICAN
Portland clerk-treasurer
Michele (Mickey) Scott

Portland City Court Judge
Donald Gillespie

Portland City Council
District 1
Bill Gibson

Portland City Council
District 4
Don Gillespie

Portland City Council
District 5
Kent McClung

Portland City Council
At-large
Janet Powers

Dunkirk Mayor
Gene Ritter

Dunkirk City Court Judge
Tommy (Chip) Phillips II

Dunkirk City Council
District 3
Jesse Bivens

Salamonia Town Board
Perry Jones

Pennville clerk-treasurer
Krista M. Scholer