Tuesday ballot features mayor races

Portland will select a new mayor Tuesday.

Dunkirk will decide whether to give a mayor a second term for the first time in more than three decades.

Mayoral races highlight the municipal election as voters will take to the polls from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Other contested races are for Redkey clerk-treasurer and three Portland City Council seats.

Early voting is also available from 8 a.m. to noon today and 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday.

Portland will select a new mayor after incumbent Republican John Boggs finished third in a four-way primary in May. Seeking to replace him are Democrat Randy Geesaman, who served two terms as mayor from 2012 through 2019 and Jeff Westlake, a longtime Portland Police Department dispatcher.

In Dunkirk, voters will choose between incumbent Democrat Jack Robbins and Republican Jay Miller. Robbins, a retired contractor, is hoping to become the city’s first mayor to be re-elected since Grant Fager was unopposed in 1991.

Democrat Mary Eley is seeking to earn her own term in office as Redkey clerk-treasurer after she was appointed to replace Debbie James following her retirement in 2020. She is facing a challenge from former Jay County Sheriff’s office employee Gloria May.

Portland will have at least two new city council members as Don Gillespie (District 4) and Janet Powers (at-large) both decided not to run for another term.

For the at-large seats in the city, Democrat Dave Golden is running for a second term against Republicans Ashley Hilfiker and Larry Nuckols. Voters will elect two of the three candidates to council.

The race to represent District 4 features former four-term city council member Judy Aker, a Democrat, against Republican Ron May.

Uncontested for the election are:

Portland — Incumbent Democrat Lori Phillips for clerk-treasurer; Donald Gillespie for city court judge; incumbent Republican Matt Goldsworthy for city council District 1; incumbent independent Mike Aker for city council District 2; incumbent Republican Michele Brewster for city council District 3; and incumbent Republican Kent McClung for city council District 5.

Dunkirk — Incumbent Democrat Tina Elliott for clerk-treasurer; Republican Dan Watson for city council at-large; Republican Randy Murphy for city council District 1; Democrat Donna Revolt for city council District 2; incumbent Republican Jesse Bivens for city council District 3; and incumbent Democrat Christy Curts for city council District 4.

Redkey — Democrat "Watermellon" Jim Phillips and Republicans David Dudelston and Brenda Beaty, all for town council (three at-large seats are up for election)