The field of candidates for two Etna Township trustees’ seats narrowed from to eight from 10 when the Licking County Board of Elections voted Monday, Aug. 18, to reject the petitions for two people who were seeking the office.
Papers filed by four candidates for other offices – including two for village council seats in the new Village of Alexandria if voters approve a merger of Alexandria and St. Albans Township – also were rejected because of flaws in their petitions.
Petitions for local options for liquor sales at Ivory Barn in Pataskala were rejected for not having enough valid signatures, said Elections Board Director Brian Mead.
Elections board members Kaye Hartman, Park Shai and David Rhodes unanimously certified 39 candidates for municipal offices in Licking County, 68 candidates for township offices and 37 candidates for school board seats. Board chair Freddie Latella did not attend in person but listened via telephone and did not vote during the meeting at the county administration building in Newark.
A total of 26 local issues will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot, including a request for a half-percent increase in the Newark income tax to 2.25 percent and a request to renew a countywide property tax – 1 mill for 10 years – for community addiction services and community mental health services.
In the race for two seats on the Etna Township board of trustees – one of which is incumbent Mark Evans, who has been a controversial figure on the township board – the elections board rejected the petitions of Kenneth Starkey and Robert Stewart. Starkey was missing a cover page on a set of signatures and incorrectly stated the total number of signatures, and Stewart didn’t record the number of signatures on his petitions, which is required by state law, Mead said.
Evans and incumbent Rozland McKee are being challenged in Etna Township by former trustee John J. Carlisle, as well as Ryan Davis, David B. Fulmer, Litichia Dawn McIntyre and Rachel Zelazny.
Ryan Gilkey, who sought to run for a seat on the Johnstown-Monroe school board, was rejected because his petitions did not include the date that each voter signed his petitions, Mead said.
Jeff Baer and Michael Miller, both incumbents on the current Alexandria Village Council seeking seats on the possible new Alexandria Village Council, as well as incumbent Darren Coe, seeking to return to his seat on the Kirkersville Village Council, were rejected because they did not record the number of signatures on petition.
“Factually, the information was omitted, and the law says it ‘shall’ be done,” Mead told elections board members. And the petitions say that the person who circulates the petition “must” add up and note the number of signatures on the petition – even though it’s easy to see with a quick glance the number of signatures because each voter signs on lines numbered 1-20.
At the same time, Mead recommended that the board approve placing four candidates on the ballot whose petitions were missing some information in the “nominating” section because all of the missing information is included in another section, the “statement of candidacy.”
“Every board I’ve worked with has approved these petitions if everything else is OK,” he said before expressing his frustration with the petition forms prescribed by the state.
“I don’t like it, and I’ll go on the record with that,” Mead said about confusing language in the petitions, encouraging any of the nine people in attendance for the Aug. 18 meeting to contact their state lawmakers to ask for law changes to streamline the petitions and make them less confusing.
The elections board has received five petitions from write-in candidates for offices in Licking County. Their names will not appear on the ballot and will not be posted in polling places, Mead said. Each polling place will have a list of write-in candidates that voters can ask to see, he said, but it’s generally up to write-in candidates to make it known to voters that they are running.
Write-in candidates have until Aug. 25 to file for the Nov. 4 election. Candidates who have filed as write-ins to date are Kip Rooks and Chad Wagy for Pataskala City Council, Chonlatit Andy Sirisukha for Buckeye Lake Village Council, Michael Briggs for Licking Township trustee, and incumbent Jeffrey Schrock for Northridge Board of Education.
The next elections board meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 29.
After certification by the elections board on Aug. 18, here are the candidates in contested races and the issues that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot in Licking County. (Addresses of candidates represent mailing addresses):
Jump to Issues
Candidates:
COUNTYWIDE
Licking County Municipal Court Judge – (vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Michael R. DalSanto, Newark
Matthew George, Newark (incumbent)
Licking County Municipal Court Clerk – (vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Carrie Masterson, Newark
Rick Williams, Hebron
CITIES
Heath Mayor – (vote for not more than 1, full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Mark D. Johns (incumbent)
Kelly Spires
Johnstown City Council – (vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Kyle Cook
Ryan Green (incumbent)
Nicholas James Hubbell
Matthew D. Huggins
Wesley Kobel (incumbent)
Nicole Shook
Newark City Council, Ward 2 – (vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Beth Bline (R, incumbent)
Daniel Crawford (D)
Newark City Council, Ward 3 – (vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Marci Fones (D)
Molly Ingold (R)
Newark City Council, Ward 4 – (vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Mark Labutis (R, incumbent)
William Mooney (D)
Newark City Council, Ward 7 – (vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Travis Bralley (R)
Michelle Newman (D)
Pataskala City Council – (vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Jude Hampshire (incumbent)
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
Reynoldsburg City Auditor – (overlap from Franklin County, vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Stephen Cicak (R)
Shanette Strickland (D)
Reynoldsburg City Council At-Large seat – (Overlap from Franklin County, vote for not more than 3 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Angela Abram (D)
Stacie Allen Baker (D, incumbent)
Barth R. Cotner (R, incumbent)
Mildred Johnson (D, incumbent)
Kamal Subedi (R)
VILLAGES
Alexandria Village Council – (vote for not more than 4 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
William Lower (incumbent)
Mitchel Peters
Kenneth L. Simpson, II
Spencer Geise
Alexandria Mayor – (For the new Village of Alexandria if the proposed merger of the village and St. Albans Township passes in this election; vote for not more than 1 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Sean Barnes
Alexandria Village Council – (For the new Village of Alexandria if the proposed merger of the village and St. Albans Township passes in this election; vote for not more than 6 – full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Ann T. Lodder
Carianne Meng (member of current council)
Dean C. Schiller
No Candidate
No Candidate
No Candidate
Buckeye Lake Village Council – (overlap to Fairfield County, vote for not more than 3 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Deborah Julian (incumbent)
Michelle McCormick
Kellie Lee Green (incumbent)
Granville Village Council – (vote for not more than 3 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Melissa K. Hartfield (incumbent)
Kim Keethler Ball (incumbent)
Diane Marshall
Matt McGowan
Alex Morrow
Gratiot Village Council – (Overlap to Muskingum County, vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
Hanover Village Council – (vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Steven D. Cost, Jr. (incumbent)
Brett Wright (incumbent)
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
Hartford Village Council – (vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Daniel Cretcher (incumbent)
Elizabeth M. Palmer
Christopher Zehnder (incumbent)
No Candidate Filed
Hebron Village Council – (vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Jerry Carpenter (incumbent)
Franklin Joseph Giovannelli
Kristin Hoskinson
Thomas Marietta
Stacy Z. Stoner (incumbent)
Patrick Taylor, II
Kirkersville Village Council – (vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Mark Alan Davis (incumbent)
James D. Kincaid (incumbent)
No Candidate
No Candidate
Village of Kirkersville Board of Public Affairs – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
St. Louisville Village Council – (vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026
Janet Wilkin
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
St. Louisville Board of Public Affairs – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
Utica Village Council – (Overlap to Knox County, vote for not more than 4 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Danielle Leila Carter (incumbent)
Connie Long (incumbent)
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
TOWNSHIPS
(Addresses represent mailing addresses)
Bennington Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Lee R. Hatfield, Centerburg (incumbent)
Cindy Powell, Johnstown (incumbent)
Bowling Green Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Benjamin Hupp, Thornville (incumbent)
Daniel Van Buren, Glenford (incumbent)
Burlington Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Brad Kyle, Utica (incumbent)
Jerry Owens, Utica
Jeffrey Patton, Utica (incumbent)
Eden Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
David Baker, St. Louisville (incumbent)
Leonard Laughman, St. Louisville (incumbent)
Eden Township Fiscal Officer, (vote for not more than 1 – unexpired term ending 03/31/2028)
Alison L. Mears, St. Louisville
Dawn M. Nelson, St. Louisville
Etna Township Trustee, (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Adrian L. Adams, Pataskala
John Carlisle, Millersport
Ryan E. Davis, Pataskala
Mark Evans, Pickerington (incumbent)
David B. Fulmer, Pataskala
Litichia McIntyre, Pataskala
Rozland McKee, Pataskala (incumbent)
Rachel Zelazny, Pataskala
Fallsbury Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Steven Billman, Frazeysburg (incumbent)
Monte McCoy, Frazeysburg (incumbent)
Franklin Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Jay Clark, Newark (incumbent)
Jeremy Saling, Newark (incumbent)
Granville Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
William E. Hoekstra, Granville
Leonard Hubert, Granville
J. Ben Barton, Granville
Hanover Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
James Davis, Newark
Patrick Simpson, Newark
Heath Smith, Newark (incumbent)
Harrison Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Eric Smith, Pataskala (incumbent)
Mark Van Buren, Hebron (incumbent)
Hartford Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Leanne S Bishop, Croton
Curt Booher, Croton (incumbent)
Marc Dopp, Sunbury
Hopewell Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
David Medley, Newark (incumbent)
Joseph Mitchell, Hopewell (incumbent)
Jersey Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Ben Pieper, Pataskala (incumbent)
Daniel Wetzel, Johnstown (incumbent)
Liberty Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
William Bogantz, Johnstown (incumbent)
Douglas Strait, Johnstown (incumbent)
Licking Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
John H. Holman, Thornville (incumbent)
Dave Miller, Newark (incumbent)
Rob Miller, Hebron
David Moraine, Thornville
Gregory Smith, Newark
Madison Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Patrick Chesterson, Newark (incumbent)
Richard Houston, Newark (incumbent)
Mary Ann Township Trustee – vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Charles T. Bodle, Newark (incumbent)
Rodney Lothes, Newark (incumbent)
McKean Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Jared McLaughlin, Granville
Derek Simon, Newark
Jeff Wintermute, Newark (incumbent)
Monroe Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Scott Hendren, Johnstown (incumbent)
Jonathon Merriman, Johnstown
Mike Sileargy, Johnstown
Joey Robertson, Johnstown (incumbent)
Newton Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Scott Ellis, Newark (incumbent)
Jeffrey S. Posey, Newark (incumbent)
Newark Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
No Candidate Filed
No Candidate Filed
Newark Township Fiscal Officer – (vote for not more than 1 – unexpired term ending 03/31/2028)
No Candidate Filed
Perry Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Dalton Lee, Nashport (incumbent)
Joshua Nethers, Newark (incumbent)
St. Albans Township Trustee -(vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Bruce Lane, Alexandria (incumbent)
Tad VanNess, Alexandria
Michael Washington, Alexandria
Union Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Jeffrey Sharps, Granville (incumbent)
Roger Start, Granville (incumbent)
Washington Township Trustee – (vote for not more than 2 – full term commencing 01/01/2026)
Sam Parsons, Utica (incumbent)
Rex J. Stevenson, Utica (incumbent)
SCHOOL BOARDS
Granville Exempted Village School District Board of Education – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Melanie Kohlheim, Granville
John Kronk, Granville (incumbent)
Heath City School District Board of Education – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026) |
Mark F. Grise, Heath (incumbent)
Miranda Spicer, Heath
Dianne Winter, Heath
Johnstown-Monroe Local School District Board of Education – (overlap to Delaware County, vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Ruth Booher, Johnstown (incumbent)
Jesse Coppel, Johnstown
Steven Frazier, Johnstown
Timothy Swauger, Johnstown (incumbent)
Lakewood Local School District Board of Education – (vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Jonathan Lynch, Thornville (incumbent)
Jacquelyn Mitchell, Hebron
Kelly E. Rayburn, Hebron (incumbent)
Licking Heights Local School District Board of Education – (overlap to Franklin County, vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026
Kevin Andrew, Blacklick
Karlie Bishop, Pataskala
Paul Johnson, Blacklick (incumbent)
Mark Rader, Pataskala (incumbent)
Licking Valley Local School District Board of Education – (vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Luellen P. Deeds, Newark
Craig A. Nethers, Newark (incumbent)
Julie Stedman, Newark (incumbent)
Casey Williams, Newark
Newark City School District Board of Education – (vote for not more than 2 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Mark Christenberry, Newark (incumbent)
Daniel L. Hunt, Newark (incumbent)
Newark City School District Board of Education – (vote for not more than 1 – Unexpired Term Ending 12/31/2027)
Joseph Quackenbush, Newark (incumbent)
North Fork Local School District Board of Education – (overlap to Knox County, vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Farrah Cooperider, Granville (incumbent)
Rob Krueger, Utica (incumbent)
Daniel Lewis Pargeon, Newark
Clay Rowly, Mt. Vernon
Northridge Local School District Board of Education – (overlap to Delaware and Knox Counties, vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Jessica Cermak, Utica
Rachel Smith, Sunbury
Andew Williams, Alexandria
Southwest Licking Local School District Board of Education – (overlap to Fairfield County, vote for not more than 3 – full term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Michael L Miller, Pataskala
Tanya L Moore, Pataskala
Catherine Spindler, Pataskala (incumbent)
John Vincent, Granville (incumbent)
Licking Regional Educational Service Center, (overlap to Delaware, Fairfield and Knox Counties, vote for not more than 3 – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2026)
Matthew Clark, Newark (incumbent)
Robert D. Essex, Granville (incumbent)
No Candidate Filed
Issues
Here are the issues that will appear on the Nov. 4 General Election ballot in Licking County:
COUNTY
Licking County: Property Tax – Renewal – 1 Mill, for a period of 10 years, for the purpose of operation of community addiction services providers and community mental health services providers and acquisition, construction, renovation, financing, maintenance, and operation of alcohol and drug addiction facilities and mental health facilities.
CITIES
City of Newark: Income Tax Increase – Additional, 0.5% for the General Fund dedicated to the operation and maintenance of essential municipal services, including, but not limited to, police and fire services, public safety initiatives, and street repair and maintenance.
City of Newark: Charter Amendment – Shall Article 12.01 (Placing the Director of Human Resources within the Classified Service of the City of Newark) be amended as recommended by the Discretionary Charter Review Commission.
VILLAGES
Village of Alexandria and St. Albans Township: Proposed merger conditions between the Village of Alexandria and the Township of St. Albans.
Village of Buckeye Lake: Income Tax, Ordinance 2025-28, establishing a 1.5% levy on income earned for general municipal operations, maintenance, new equipment, extension and enlargement of municipal services and facilities, and capital improvements.
Village of Buckeye Lake: Charter amendment: To amend Article 7 to modify the membership of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Village of Hanover: Property Tax – Additional – 3 mills, 5 years, for the purpose of the provision of street and walkway purposes.
TOWNSHIPS
Bennington Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 1 mill, continuing period of time, for the purpose of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Franklin Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 2 mills, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Franklin Township: Property Tax, Renewal – 2 mills, 5 years, for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads and bridges.
Hanover Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 2.1 mills, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Hanover Township: Property Tax – Additional – 0.5 mill, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of maintaining and operating cemeteries.
Harrison Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 2 mills, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads and bridges.
Hartford Township: Property Tax – Replacement –1 mill, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Hartford Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 3 mills, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads and bridges.
Mary Ann Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 2 mills, continuing period of time, for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads and bridges.
Newton Township: Property Tax – Replacement & Increase – replacement of 6.5 mills of two existing levies and an increase of 1 mill, not to exceed 7.5 mills for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Newark Township: Property Tax – Additional – 1.5 mills, for 5 years, for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads and bridges.
Jersey Township: Property Tax – Replacement – replacement of 1.6 mills for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of fire protection and emergency medical services.
St. Albans Township: Property Tax – Renewal – 3 mills and Increase 0.5 mill constiture a tax 3.5 mills, for a period of 5 years, for the purpose of general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads and bridges.
SCHOOLS
Southwest Licking Local Schools: Bond Issue, 3.48 mills, 35 years, for the purpose of constructing school facilities and renovating repairing, expanding, improving, and constructing additions to school facilities; furnishing and equipping the same; improving the sites thereof; and acquiring real estate and interest therein.
LIQUOR OPTIONS
Village of Hebron: Sunday sale of wine and mixed beverages, off premise sales, Englefield, Inc. d/b/a Hebron Duchess, 102 E. Main St, Hebron, Ohio 43025.
City of Newark 1B: Sunday sale of wine and mixed beverages, off premise sales, Englefield, Inc. d/b/a Dayton Rd Duchess, 57 Dayton Road, Newark, Ohio 43055.
This story was updated on Monday, Aug. 18, to correct the spelling of candidate Rachel Zelazny’s name and to correctly identify incumbents in Southwest Licking Local Schools Board of Education race. The Reporting Project regrets the errors. The story was also updated to clarify that this is a list of candidates in contested races. It does not include candidates in uncontested races.