ATHENS, Ohio — The Athens County Board of Elections on Valentine’s Day approved all candidate petitions for the May primary election, while noting that some petitions contained minor errors.
The primary election will be held Tuesday, May 6. Winners of the primaries will go on to the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Following the primary races, only independent, non-party affiliated candidates may run for offices in the general election. April 7 is the deadline to register to vote in the primary.
As issues require only Ohio Secretary of State approval, all were approved to go before voters this May. Local issues include the City of Athens’ income tax increase and a proposed amendment to the Nelsonville City Charter allowing a mayoral form of government.
Bern Township will ask for renewal of a 1-mill property tax for cemetery maintenance and an additional 1 mill levy for fire protection. Troy Township hopes to replace an expiring levy for road maintenance at 1.5 mills. County residents in the Warren Local School District will be asked to renew a 4.17 mill levy for the district’s emergency needs.
Athens
The board certified the petitions for these candidates, all Democrats:
- City Treasurer: Joshua Thomas (incumbent)
- City Council President: Micah McCarey. One petition circulator’s statement said the petition had 23 signatures when it had only 22; the board considered this a minor error and approved the candidacy unanimously.
- City Council 1st Ward (open seat): Megan Leah Almeida, Andrew Guidarelli, Anthony D. Jacobs.
- City Council 2nd Ward (open seat): John Staser.
- City Council 3rd Ward: Michael Wood (incumbent).
- City Council 4th Ward: Alan Swank (incumbent).
- City Council At-Large (3 seats): Beth Clodfelter (incumbent), Ari (Iva) Faber, Paul Isherwood, Jessica Thomas (incumbent). The board approved Isherwood’s petitions, although one did not include “2025” as part of a date.
Petitions needed a minimum of 50 valid signatures.
Nelsonville
Only one candidate — Republican Jessica Hollenbaugh — filed for any of the seven seats on Nelsonville City Council. The board approved Hollenbaugh’s petition to run for an at-large council seat, although it noted a minor error of an omitted date.
Republican Andrea Nicole Thompson-Hashman’s petitions to run for city auditor were approved; no others were filed. Current City Auditor Taylor Sappington will vacate the office in September, when he becomes Athens County Treasurer.
No one filed to run for city law director. Current City Law Director Jonathan Robe cannot seek election for the position because he doesn’t live in Nelsonville. No one filed for city treasurer, either.
The lack of candidates adds another layer of uncertainty as the city works to reorganize as required by Issue 23, which abolished the city charter and requires that a new form of government be in place by Jan. 1, 2026.
Under the Ohio Revised Code, vacancies in city government are supposed to be filled by people appointed by the central committee of the previous officeholders’ political parties, Robe explained in an email. But in this case, there are no previous officeholders because the city is creating an entirely new government.
If no one else files for the vacant positions, Robe said, the duly elected member of the council could appoint someone to a seat.
“Once the single member appoints one vacancy, then (assuming the appointee takes the oath of office immediately) the two members then appoint a third member and so on,” Robe wrote.
A case could be made for mayoral appointments after 30 days, Robe said, but that would mean the city would have no legislative body for a month.
Disclosure: Robe completed and filed incorporation papers for Southeast Ohio Independent News, the nonprofit that publishes the Athens County Independent. He also has provided the Independent with legal advice.
