Ottawa County voters pass 2 Genoa school levies; Majewski leads GOP congressional race

David Yonke
·3 min read
Congressional candidate J.R. Majewski was leading three opponents in the Republican primary late Tuesday with 67% of the votes counted. The winner will face incumbent Marcy Kaptur in November.
Congressional candidate J.R. Majewski was leading three opponents in the Republican primary late Tuesday with 67% of the votes counted. The winner will face incumbent Marcy Kaptur in November.

PORT CLINTON — Voters in Ottawa County approved two levies for the Genoa Area Local School District in Tuesday's primary election.

A proposal for a new 6-mill tax that would generate $1.3 million a year for five years for the Genoa District was approved by a vote of 1,367 in favor (51.12%) to 1,256 opposed (47.88%), according to final, unofficial election results posted online by the Ottawa County Board of Elections.

Voters also passed a Genoa schools replacement levy of 0.5 mill for five years for education technology by the overwhelming margin of 60.45% to 39.55% (1,585 in favor, 1,037 against).

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In Put-in-Bay, voters defeated a proposed 1.25 mill, five-year levy for police services, including salaries and equipment. That vote was 95 against to 75 in favor (55.88% against and 44.12% in favor), according to the unofficial election results.

Voters overwhelmingly approved an issue to allow Sunday liquor and wine sales at Mockingbird on Mill Road in Graytown. The margin was 90.67% in favor to 9.33% against, with 204 yes votes cast and 21 against.

Another Sunday liquor sales issue also was approved by a landslide, this one for the Blackberry Corner Tavern in Martin. The vote was 149 in favor and 27 against (84.66% to 15.34%).

In campaign races, incumbent Ottawa County Commissioner Donald Douglas ran unopposed on the Republican ticket, netting 100% of the partisan ballot with 4,206 votes.

No Democrat filed to run in the primary for Douglas' commissioner seat.

Incumbent auditor Jennifer Widmar also ran unopposed in the GOP primary, tallying all 4,333 votes cast for the position. No Democrats ran for auditor in Tuesday's primary election.

Of the four Republican candidates seeking to run for the 9th Congressional District against longtime Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur, Ottawa County voters favored J.R. Majewski (38.77%) over Theresa Gavarone (31.12%), Craig Riedel (26.20%), and Beth Deck (3.92%).

Majewski made national headlines in 2020 when he painted his lawn into a 19,000-square-foot sign supporting former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid at the time.

Ohio's 9th District spans five counties — Ottawa, Lucas, Fulton, Erie, Wood and Defiance — and the New York Times reported late Tuesday night that with 67% of precincts reporting across the five counties, Majewski led with 35.4% of the vote (13,984 votes), Gavarone was second with 30.5% (12,076), Craig Riedel third with 29.5% (11,687), and Beth Deck fourth with 4.6% (1,809).

One well-known Ottawa County politician, former state senator and Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern, lost in his bid for a seat on the Ottawa County Democratic Central Committee, netting 22 votes (37.93%) to Paul Dunfee's 36 votes (62.07%).

The turnout on Tuesday was 27.76% of the county's 30,323 registered voters. In the 2020 primary, the turnout was 22.69%. The November 2021 presidential election drew 79.64% of county voters.

dyonke@gannett.com

Twitter: davidyonke1

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: 2 Genoa school levies pass; Majewski leads GOP congressional field