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Voters to have lots of choices in November

THE BLADE

Voters to have lots of choices in November

Several contested elections will be decided by area voters next November.

In Lucas County, Democrat Lindsay Navarre of Toledo and Republican Shelly Kennedy of Maumee filed to run for the open seat on Lucas County Common Pleas Court being vacated by Judge Ruth Ann Franks, who is prohibited by term limits from running again.

Races for the 5th and 9th congressional seats drew opposition, as did all four Lucas County statehouse seats, one county commissioner seat, as well as clerk of courts, and county recorder.

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Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) will face Democrat James L. Neu, Jr., of Perrysburg in the general election.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) will face the winner of a primary among three Republicans: Steven Kraus, Donald Larson, and Joel Lieske.

Mr. Kraus, a Sandusky auctioneer, was elected to the state House of Representatives last year but was expelled this year when he was convicted of theft for taking items from a home.

Mr. Larson, of Lakewood, is a Navy veteran and the owner of a business re-engineering firm. No immediate information was available about Mr. Lieske.

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The one contested race for Lucas County Common Pleas Court is between two first-time candidates who were law school classmates at the University of Toledo.

Ms. Navarre, 34, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, was the first to win a conviction in Lucas County for illegal participation in a criminal gang in 2013. She is a liaison to the Metro Drug Task Force.

A Perrysburg High School grad, Ms. Navarre is the daughter of Oregon Police Chief Michael Navarre. She has been working in the prosecutor’s office since 2005.

Mrs. Kennedy is law clerk and staff attorney for state Court of Appeals Judge James Jensen. She is chairman of the Ohio Bar Association’s Legal Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee, which investigates allegations of misconduct against judges and attorneys.

Spencer Township Trustee Michael B. Hood of Holland, a Democrat, filed to run for Lucas County commissioner against incumbent commissioner Pete Gerken, also a Democrat. The winner takes on Republican Mike Bell.

Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak, a Democrat, is unopposed for re-election.

Lucas County Republican Chairman Jon Stainbrook said the local GOP’s executive committee didn’t field a candidate to oppose Ms. Wozniak because it wants to focus on Mr. Bell’s race for commissioner, as well as on re-electing U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) and Mr. Latta.

Pete Gerken “is the candidate we are going to pool all of our resources to beat,” Mr. Stainbrook said.

Lucas County Probate Judge Jack Puffenberger, a Democrat, filed to run unopposed for an open seat on the 6th District Court of Appeals. Also running unopposed for the appellate court is incumbent Democratic Judge Mark Pietrykowski.

Lucas County Common Pleas Court judges unopposed for re-election are Republicans Michael Goulding and Gene Zmuda, and Democrat Dean Mandros.

Republican Allison Seney of Sylvania filed for Lucas County recorder against Democratic incumbent Philip Copeland. Republican Nickolas Berente of Toledo filed to run against Democratic incumbent Bernie Quilter for Lucas County Clerk of Courts.

Running unopposed in Lucas County are Engineer Keith Earley, Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz, Prosecutor Julia Bates, Sheriff John Tharp, and Coroner James Patrick. All are incumbents and Democrats.

In local statehouse races, all four seats are contested. Incumbent state Rep. Michael Ashford, a Democrat, is opposed by Republican John Insco of Toledo in the 44th district. Incumbent state Rep. Teresa Fedor, a Democrat, is opposed by Republican James Nowak of Toledo. State Rep. Michael Sheehy will face Republican Diana Skaff of Curtice.

One Democrat, Michael Sarantou, filed for the 47th House seat. Filing for the Republican nomination were Derek Merrin, Barbara Lang, Vicki Donovan Lyle, and Kevin Haddad.

Voters in Springfield Township will decide a new 3.68-mill levy for police protection. The township trustees approved placing the issue on the ballot during an emergency meeting Tuesday.

The only contested primary race in Wood County involves Republican candidates for Common Pleas Court judge to replace Judge Robert Pollex, who chose not to seek re-election.

Two Republicans — longtime Bowling Green City Prosecutor Matthew Reger and Corey Speweik, a private practice lawyer in Pemberville — are vying for the GOP nomination. The winner will face Democrat Steve Long of Perrysburg, who is unopposed.

Voters in the city of Perrysburg will be asked to approve a four-year, 1.9-mill operating levy for Way Public Library. The measure calls for a 1.5-mill renewal and a 0.4-mill increase.

In Fulton County, Republicans Gary Loar of Metamora and Jon Rupp of Fayette are seeking the county commissioner seat held by Paul Barnaby, who did not file for re-election. The winner will face Democrat Jeffrey Mazurowski.

Incumbent Fulton County Clerk of Courts Paul MacDonald of Wauseon is challenged by Republican Tracy Zuver of Archbold.

Fulton County Western District Judge Jeffrey Robinson is the sole candidate for the seat held by longtime Common Pleas Court Judge James Barber, who is forbidden from seeking re-election to the bench because of his age.

In Ottawa County, four Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination for county commissioner: Randall Tice, Mark Coppeler, Don Douglas, and Brad Lieske. The winner will face incumbent Commissioner JoEllen Regal, a Democrat.

Voters will be asked in November to choose between incumbent Commissioner Mark Stahl, a Republican, and Democrat Chris Redfern, a former county commissioner, state representative, and chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party.

Democrat Mark Mulligan, now in his 20th year as county prosecutor, will face Republican James VanEerten in November. Mr. VanEerten is employed as Ottawa County Common Pleas Court administrator.

The filing deadline for partisan candidates passed Wednesday, with the primary election slated for March 15.

Candidates running as independents can file as late as March 14 for the November ballot, but must submit 1,060 signatures. Write-ins have until Jan. 4 to file for the March 15 election.

Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.

First Published December 17, 2015, 5:00 a.m.

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Incumbent U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, left, (D., Toledo) will face the winner of a primary among three Republicans: Steven Kraus, Donald Larson, and Joel Lieske. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, right, (R., Bowling Green) will face Democrat James L. Neu, Jr., of Perrysburg in the general election.  (THE BLADE)  Buy Image
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