Several Portage County races open in upcoming primary

Diane Smith, Record-Courier
·2 min read
A banner announcing “Vote Here Today” outside the Portage County Board of Elections offices in Ravenna is seen in a Record-Courier file photo.
A banner announcing “Vote Here Today” outside the Portage County Board of Elections offices in Ravenna is seen in a Record-Courier file photo.

The deadline to file petitions for the May 3 primary is next week — at least for now — and several local races eventually will be decided by voters.

Voters will cast ballots in the upcoming primary for governor, U.S. Senate, congressional seats and state representative, as well as several local, countywide races. The previously established deadline to seek the posts is 4 p.m. Feb. 2 for state and local races. Congressional candidates have until March 4 to file.

This week, two state representatives sponsored a bill that would move the primary from May 3 to June 7. The measure aims to give candidates and election officials ample time to prepare for the election as mapmakers take another stab at drawing legislative and congressional districts.

Board of elections officials said they are still waiting for official word from the secretary of state about the filing deadlines. On Thursday, the Ohio Association of Elected Officials notified the board's director, Faith Lyon, and deputy director, Theresa Nielsen, that another bill has been approved by the Ohio house and state senate, which provides flexibility for candidates running for state legislative districts. The bill, which is awaiting the governor's signature, does not change the filing deadlines or the primary date.

Early in-person voting at the Portage County Board of Elections in Ravenna. Deb Defer, a poll worker, transports voting materials where they will be picked up and taken to different precincts in the county for election day on November 3.
Early in-person voting at the Portage County Board of Elections in Ravenna. Deb Defer, a poll worker, transports voting materials where they will be picked up and taken to different precincts in the county for election day on November 3.

One of the districts that is in question is the proposed 72nd district. Right now, State Rep. Gail Pavliga represents the 75th district, which encompasses most of Portage County, while Diane Grendell's 76th district includes residents of the northern part of the county, as well as Geauga County.

Portage County voters also will decide a commissioners race, now represented by Democrat Vicki Kline, who does not plan to seek re-election. So far, two Republicans, Deerfield Township Trustee Ed Dean and Mike Tinlin of Brimfield, have filed petitions to run for the seat.

Voters also will elect a county auditor, a judge of the county common pleas court, a domestic relations court judge, and members of the county's Democratic Central Committee So far, only the current domestic relations court judge, Paula Giulitto, a Democrat who lives in Streetsboro, has filed petitions for re-election to the bench.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Local races up for grabs in spring primary; Feb. 2 is filing deadline