Less than 12% of Knox County’s registered voters turned out for the second primary of the year to choose their party’s state legislative candidates and central committee members for the Republican and Democratic parties.
Republicans cast 3,945 ballots, but that was just under 33% of those registered in Knox. The Democrats had a turnout of a little more than 25% of those registered for their party, but that was 902 voters.
Knox County Democrats in Ohio Senate District 19 favored Heather M. Swiger for the seat, casting 583 votes in unofficial. Her primary opponent, Chrissie Hinshaw, received 292 votes in the county.
Swiger’s lead held across the district with 3,962 votes, giving her the Democratic primary victory over Hinshaw, who had 1,818 total votes in unofficial returns. The district includes Delaware, Knox, Holmes and Coshocton counties.
She will face incumbent Andrew O. Brenner in the General Election on Nov. 8. Brenner, the only Republican running, received 3,317 votes in Knox County and 16,559 total in Senate District 19.
In the District 61 state representative race, Louise Valentine was the only Democrat on the primary ballot. She received 270 votes in Knox County. Her overall total was 2,329 votes for the portions of Knox and Delaware counties that make up District 61.
Her Republican opponent will be Beth Lear, who received 1,019 votes from Knox County and 4,685 in total. Fellow Republican Shawn Stevens, appointed to the seat on March 9 to fill out Rick Carfagna’s term, received 629 votes from county residents and 3,354 in total across the district.
No Democrat filed a valid petition in the 98th District for a state representative seat. The district includes Holmes, Coshocton and half of Knox County.
Republicans fielded Darrell D. Kick, who received 1,122 votes in Knox, and Scott Pullins, who was just 6 votes short of that total with 1,116.
But in the entire district, Kick had a greater lead with 2,898 votes. Pullins fell short with 2,207 total votes in unofficial returns, sending Kick to the General Election. Kick is the incumbent for state House District 70, but redistricting put him in District 98 beginning with the 2022 elections.
For Democrat and Republican state Central Committee election results, visit the Knox County Board of Elections website.
