VAN WERT, Ohio (WOWO) – Van Wert Mayor Ken Markward will serve a second term in office.
According to final unofficial results from the Van Wert County Board of Elections, Markward easily outdistanced a pair of challengers in his bid for re-election. 1,631 ballots were cast for Markward, while Fred Fisher received 778 votes. Linda Agler-Evans finished third with 632 votes.
There will be also three new faces on Van Wert City Council in 2024, plus Erika Blackmore, who was unopposed in her bid to replace retiring City Auditor Martha Balyeat.
Thad Eikenbary won his bid to become council president, with 1,672 votes. He’ll replace Jerry Mazur, who chose not to seek re-election. Kirby Kelly was second with 559 votes and Andrew Davis, who currently serves as fourth ward councilman, was third with 526 votes.
Newcomer Jana Ringwald will join city council as an at-large member. She was the top vote getter with 1,653 votes. Judy Bowers (1,579 votes) and Jeff Kallas (1,555) won re-election bids for council at-large seats, while Joe Jared finished fourth with 776 votes.
First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler won his bid for reelection by defeating challenger Kurt Schalois 290-168.
Jordan Dettrow will be the new second ward representative. He ran unopposed and will fill the seat currently held by David Stinnett, who opted not to run again.
Incumbent Crestview Board of Education members Andrew Perrott and John Auld won re-election. Perrott received 1,030 votes while Auld tallied 808. Challenger Todd Wehner came up short, with 684 votes.
In the Lincolnview school board race, Brad Coil lost his bid for re-election in a race that featured four people running for two seats. Ashley Breese received the most votes, 826, while incumbent Michelle Gorman received 739 votes. 669 ballots were cast for Coil and 432 for Scott Eddy.
Alan Beard defeated Robert Miller, 370-273, in the Tully Township Trustee race, while Jeff Adams won a three-way race for Union Township Trustee. Adams received 142 votes, compared to 93 for Mike Lare and 65 for Dugan Runyon.
