NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Nelsonville’s former State Representative Jay Edwards, a Republican, not only lost the race for Ohio treasurer statewide, but also each precinct in his hometown.
Ohio Treasurer of State-elect Seth Walsh, a Democrat, received just around 50,000 votes more than Edwards in the state treasurer’s race, making for a narrow 49-51% margin, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.
However, according to unofficial results from the Athens County Board of Elections, Nelsonville voters across the board rejected their hometown candidate.
Edwards received the highest approval from voters in Nelsonville Precinct 3, where he received around 48% of the vote (103 votes) compared to Walsh’s 52% (216 votes). The precinct’s voter turnout was 38%.
Walsh received his highest margin of approval in Nelsonville Precinct 4 — 60% — where he got 147 votes, compared to Edwards’ 102. Nelsonville Precinct 4, wherein Edwards is registered to vote, per the board of elections, had the lowest turnout of all the city’s precincts, at around 35%.
Nelsonville Precinct 1 had the highest turnout, at around 49%. In that precinct, Walsh received 146 votes, or around 55%, and Edwards received 118, or about 41%.
In Nelsonville Precinct 2, voter turnout came in second for Nelsonville, at 46%. In that precinct, Walsh received 118 votes, or around 64%, compared to Edwards’ 66 votes, or around 36%.
Nelsonville’s voter turnout rates on average were about a third lower than the county’s — 40% in Nelsonville, compared to 60% in Athens County overall.
Edwards did not immediately return a request for comment.
