Local ballots swell with last-minute filings

Bainbridge to have nine council candidates

Last-minute candidate filings were the order of the day Monday as 12 candidates added their names to local ballots prior to the noon filing deadline.

The ballots are now set for the Tuesday, Nov. 5 municipal elections in the six Putnam County municipalities.

Bainbridge certainly has the most crowded field and saw the most action on Monday, as the number of town council candidates grew from four to nine.

The five new candidates include Raymond Curran, Brent Foltz, Robert Hensley, Jeff Kiger and former council member Bonnie Osborn.

They join Rodney Fenwick, J.C. Mandeville and incumbents Jerry Lents and Joel Thompson on the ballot.

Current member Scott Curran will not seek a second term.

They will be vying for the three at-large seats that compose the council.

Current Bainbridge Clerk-Treasurer Monica Bray also filed to seek a second term, joining Bobbi Boller in the race. In 2015, Bray topped Boller by just five votes to win a three-way race.

The race for Fillmore Town Council grew by one candidate with Jerry Huff adding his name to those of incumbents Bill Ashcraft, Robin Duncan and C.J. Huller, as well as Meridith Trusty.

These five will be vying for three at-large seats.

The race for clerk-treasurer in Fillmore stood pat on the final day, with Tonya Gruenholz challenging incumbent Jayna Haldeman.

Roachdale also got one more council candidate, as incumbent Kevin Cook joined fellow incumbents Zach Bowers and Holly Cook on the ballot, as well as challengers Katrina Asher, Michael Mahoy and Richard Miles Sr.

The clerk-treasurer contest remains unchanged with incumbent Debbie Sillery and challenger Michael Arnold.

Russellville will not have any contested races, but as of Friday had no candidates at all.

That changed when current Clerk-Treasurer Martha Mandleco filed to run, as did council incumbents Cathy Jones and Cary McGaughey. They are joined in the race for three at-large seats by Norman Jean Gross, a former council member.

Current member Jim Davis did not file paperwork to seek another term.

There were no late changes in Cloverdale or Greencastle.

In the race for Cloverdale clerk-treasurer, Republican incumbent Cheryl Galloway will be challenged by independent Vanessa Carr.

Fellow Republican incumbent Gary Bennington also faces independent challenger Samantha Hinman for the one available at-large seat on the five-member council.

In Ward 1, Republican incumbent and Council President Larry Fidler is not facing a challenge.

In Ward 2, Republican Rick Dearwester and independent Robert Anderson will face off to replace retiring Councilman Don Sublett.

In Greencastle, where all candidates are Republicans or Democrats, neither party had any last-minute surprises and several office holders remain unchallenged.

Mayor Bill Dory (D) and Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar (R) are unchallenged, as are council members Adam Cohen (D) in First Ward and Stacie Langdon (R) in Second Ward.

In Third Ward, however, Republican Haywood Ware and Democrat Veronica Pejril will face off to replace retiring Steve Fields.

In Fourth Ward, Republican Cody Eckert and Democrat Steve Snyder are vying for Tyler Wade’s current seat.

Wade is part of the six-way fray for three at-large council spots that features incumbents Mark Hammer (R), Gary Lemon (D) and Dave Murray (D), as well as Wade (R), Harry Maginity (R) and Matt Cummings (D).

Voters are reminded that although these are municipal elections, not all incorporated towns in Putnam County have vote center locations. This means that if the county conducts the election, voters in Fillmore, Roachdale and Russellville will have to leave town to cast their votes.

More details on polling locations and early voting will be released closer to the date of the election.

2019 MUNICIPAL BALLOTS

Filing period now closed

Bainbridge
Clerk-treasurer -- Bobbi Boller (I), Monica D. Bray * (I)
Town Council (vote for 3) -- Raymond L. Curran (I), Rodney Fenwick (I), Brent Foltz (I), Robert Hensley (I), Jeff Kiger (I), Jerry Lents* (I), James Covey (J.C.) Mandeville (I), Bonnie Osborn (I), Joel Thompson (Joe)* (I)

Cloverdale
Clerk-treasurer -- Cheryl Galloway* (R), Vanessa Carr (I)
Council at-large -- Gary E. Bennington* (R), Samantha Hinman (I)
Council Ward 1 -- Larry Fidler* (R)
Council Ward 2 -- Rick Dearwester (R), Robert D. Anderson (I)

Fillmore
Clerk-treasurer -- Tonya M. Gruenholz (I), Jayna Haldeman* (I)
Town Council (vote for 3) -- Bill Ashcraft* (I), Robin Duncan* (I), Jerry Huff (I), Cyrus (C.J.) Huller* (I), Meridith Trusty (I)

Greencastle
Mayor -- William A. Dory Jr.* (D)
Clerk-Treasurer -- Lynda R. Dunbar* (R)
Council at-large (vote for 3) -- Mark N. Hammer* (R), Harry Maginity (R), Tyler J. Wade (R), Matt Cummings (D), Gary D. Lemon* (D), Dave Murray* (D)
Council Ward 1 -- Adam Cohen* (D)
Council Ward 2 -- Stacie Langdon* (R)
Council Ward 3 -- Haywood Ware, (R) Veronica Pejril (D)
Council Ward 4 -- Cody Eckert (R), Steve Snyder (D)

Roachdale
Clerk-treasurer -- Michael Arnold (I), Debbie Sillery* (I)
Town Council (vote for 3) -- Katrina Asher (I), Zach Bowers* (I), Holly M. Cook* (I), Kevin Cook* (I), Michael Mahoy (I), Richard L. Miles Sr. (I)

Russellville
Clerk-treasurer -- Martha Mandleco* (I)
Town Council (vote for 3) -- Norma Jean Gross (I), Cathy Jones* (I), Cary E. McGaughey* (I)

*–Incumbent