Mayoral races highlight ballot

It’s decision time.

Local voters will take to the polls Tuesday — voting will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. — to decide the winners in municipal primary elections, including three contested races for mayor.

Both incumbent mayors are facing challenges from within their parties, as two-term Mayor Randy Geesaman takes on assistant police chief Bart Darby in the race among Portland Democrats. In Dunkirk, incumbent Gene Ritter is seeking a second term while retired manufacturing manager Tom Crouch hopes to knock him off for the Republican nomination.

There is also a contested race for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Dunkirk as city council member Jack Robbins faces retired Ardagh employee Sandy Rollins.

John Boggs of WPGW radio is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for mayor of Portland.

Clerk-treasurers in Jay County’s three largest municipalities — Lori Aker Ferguson (Portland), Tina Elliott (Dunkirk) and Debbie James (Redkey) are all unopposed.

Portland and Dunkirk each have one contested city council race to vote in.

Republicans in Portland’s District 3 will choose between incumbent council member Michele Brewster and challenger Steve McIntosh.

Dunkirk Democrats will have a contested race for the at-large council seat, with incumbent Tom Johnson being challenged by Ron Hunt. Both men are former mayors of the city. 

Redkey Republican voters will get to trim their field of town council candidates by one. Four men — incumbent Dave Dudelston, Gary Gardner, Pilot Bechtol and John Pierce — are hoping to advance to the general election. Because there are three at-large seats up for election this year, the lowest vote-getter among those candidates will be eliminated with the remaining trio to advance to the general election.

Redkey also has three candidates — “Watermellon” Jim Phillips, Erik Hammers and Nathan Cole — for town council on the Democrat ticket. All three will advance to the general election.

Incumbent Redkey Town Council members Doug Stanley and Ted Friddle chose not to seek re-election.

Democrats Dave Golden and Tyler Newell are both running for Portland City Council’s at-large seats. With two seats available, both will advance to the general election.

The following candidates will be running unopposed in the primary:

Republicans — Donald Gillespie for Portland City Court Judge; Matt Goldsworthy for Portland City Council District 1; Don Gillespie for Portland City Council District 4; Kent McClung for Portland City Council District 5; Janet Powers for Portland City Council at-large; Kevin Hamilton for Dunkirk City Council District 1; Bryan Jessup for Dunkirk City Council District 2; Jesse Bivens for Dunkirk City Council District 3; and Krista Scholer for Pennville clerk-treasurer.

Democrats — Lori Aker Ferguson for Portland clerk-treasurer; Dave Cramer for Portland City Council District 1; Judy Hedges for Portland City Council District 2; Lisa Street for Dunkirk City Council District 4; Debbie James for Redkey clerk-treasurer; and Donald Shauver for Salamonia Town Board.

Following the primary, parties will have until June 30 to fill any open positions on the ballot for the general election.

Chip Phillips, an independent, has filed to run as an independent for the District 3 seat on Dunkirk City Council. Independents do not appear on the primary ballot.