Licking County Commissioners Bubb, Flowers file for reelection, Bird challenging for seat
Two long-serving Licking County officeholders are headed back to the ballot in 2024, but they'll face challengers.
Candidates for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, Ohio Legislature and countywide offices filed paperwork by Wednesday's deadline to appear on the March 19 primary ballot, if certified by the Licking County Board of Elections. Besides candidates, there are also 15 issues on ballots throughout Licking County, including local liquor options, school bond issues and levies for public safety.
Among the candidates are current Licking County Commissioners Tim Bubb and Duane Flowers, both seeking reelection. If elected, it would be the sixth term for Bubb and the fourth for Flowers.
Bubb and Flowers both said they are running because they still enjoy the job.
"The truth of the matter is there's an awful lot in play right now, with growth and development," Bubb said. "At the end of this term, I will be a 20-year commissioner. You can say that's a long time, but it is also a lot of experience in dealing with things."
Flowers chairs the Licking County Transportation Improvement District and sits on the board of the Buckeye Lake Region Corp. With extensive road projects in the works in preparing for the $20 billion Intel Corp. facility and the continued development near Buckeye Lake, Flowers said he didn't want to leave those boards.
"I am getting older, but I am not ready to retire or just quit trying to serve people," Flowers said.
But Bubb first will go up against challenger Daniel Hunt II, of Newark, in a Republican primary. The winner will face James Snedden Jr., who previously unsuccessfully ran for the seat, in the November general election.
Two-term Granville Township Trustee Bryn Bird and Daniel Crawford, who most recently was an independent write-in candidate for Newark mayor, will face off in the Democratic primary. Whoever wins the March 19 primary will face Flowers in November.
Bird said being a township trustee during a time of rapid growth has given her a unique perspective of the interdependence and interconnectedness of all Licking County communities.
"We're no longer just St. Albans Township or just Granville Township or just McKean Township, but the planning, our natural resources, our schools, our infrastructure — we're all interconnected and all interdependent," she said. "I really feel called to run and be county commissioner where I can work on all these interconnected issues. That is such a really big need right now in our county, for us to be working together."
Either Bird or Crawford and Snedden will face an uphill battle. Republicans have dominated Licking County politics for decades. No Democrat or independent candidate has come within 15 points of a Republican in a county commissioner race since 2008, when Democrat Mark Van Buren lost by 5% to Republican Brad Feightner.
A candidate identified on the ballot as a Democrat has not been elected to any countywide position since 2004. Voters have not chosen any identified Democrat over an identified Republican since 2000.
All county officials currently serving are seeking reelection. Seven Republican office holders, including Sheriff Randy Thorp, Prosecutor Jenny Wells and Clerk of Courts Olivia Parkinson, are running unopposed and will not face a primary challenger nor a Democrat opponent in November.
Who will be on November ballot in Licking County?
Following are the candidate filings as of Wednesday's filing deadline to appear on the March 19 primary election ballot, according to the Licking County Board of Elections.
12th Congressional District
Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville
Jerrad Christian, D-Galena
Licking County Common Pleas Judge
David Branstool, D-Alexandria
Matt Kunsman, R-Newark
Licking County Commissioner (term starts Jan. 2, 2025)
Tim Bubb, R-Heath
Daniel Hunt II, R-Newark
James Snedden Jr., D-St. Louisville
Licking County Commissioner (term starts Jan. 3, 2025)
Bryn Bird, D-Granville
Daniel Crawford, D-Newark
Duane Flowers, R-Newark
Licking County Prosecutor
Jenny Wells, R-Newark
Licking County Common Pleas Clerk of Courts
Olivia Parkinson, R-Newark
Licking County Sheriff
Randy Thorp, R-Newark
Licking County Recorder
Bryan Long, R-Newark
Licking County Treasurer
Roy Van Atta, R-Heath
Licking County Engineer
Jared Knerr, R-Alexandria
Licking County Coroner
Michael Campolo, R-Newark
Ohio 20th Senate District
Nick Hubbell, D-Johnstown
Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster
Ohio 68th House District
Thad Claggett, R-Newark
Michael E. Smith, D-Newark
Ohio 72nd House District
Jamie Hough, D-Heath
Daniel Kalmbach, R-Thornville
Kevin Miller, R-Newark
Local questions and issues
Jersey Township: Local option for revitalization district
City of Johnstown, Precinct A: Local option for Sunday sales for Local Horseshoe LLC
Licking Township, Precinct A: Local option for Sunday sales at Thornville Duchess
McKean Township: Local option for D-3 permit for unspecified entity
Village of Buckeye Lake: Local option for Sunday sales at Buckeye Lake Duchess
Village of Granville: Local option for Sunday sales throughout the village
Village of Hanover: Local option for D-4 permit at Hanover American Legion
Village of Utica: Local option for Sunday sales at Utica Duchess
Heath City Schools: Bond issue for construction of school facilities
North Fork Local Schools: Bond issue for construction of school facilities
County Line Joint Fire District: Additional levy for providing and maintaining fire apparatus
Hanover Township: Replacement levy for fire and emergency medical services
Hartford Township: Additional levy for fire and EMS
Village of Hartford: Additional levy for police department operating expenses
St. Albans Township: Additional levy for fire and EMS
mdevito@gannett.com
740-607-2175
Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: See who's running for Licking County Commissioner, Ohio legislature