Election 2016 Results

Bellaire School District Levy Falls Again

Voters in the Bellaire Local School District rejected the five-year, 3-mill levy that would have helped the fiscally challenged school escape its financial woes, unofficial results showed late Tuesday. “We are very disappointed,” a dejected Superintendent Darren Jenkins said late Tuesday. “Our district’s voters have not passed an additional operating levy since 1976. It would have stabilized our situation.” School officials had estimated the owner of a house worth $50,000 would have paid just $52.50 more a year. If the owner qualified for the state homestead exemption, the ...

Dutton Wins in 3-Man Race for Board Seat

Republican J.P. Dutton won his bid for a county commission seat during a three-way race to fill a seat left vacant by Ginny Favede. Favede vacated the seat to run for a seat with the Ohio House of Representatives this election. She, however, lost her bid to Republican Andy Thompson. Dutton garnered 13,724 votes. Other challengers for the seat included Democrat Mike Bianconi, who received 9,513 votes, and Independent Brian Schambach, who received 6,705 votes, according to unofficial vote totals. “I really enjoyed the campaign. Being a new candidate I had the opportunity to show ...

Longtime Commissioner Coffland Unseated

Belmont County voters on Tuesday unseated a longtime commissioner who was seeking his third term in office this election. Incumbent Democrat Matt Coffland was defeated by Republican Josh Meyer in his bid to retain his seat. Meyer received 14,988 votes, while Coffland garnered 14,880, according to unofficial vote totals. Coffland said he wanted to thank the residents of the county for allowing him to serve them for three decades. “I want to thank all the residents for a great 30 years of public service — and good luck,” Coffland said. Meyer could not be reached for comment ...

Jefferson County Keeps Incumbents in Office

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla, a Democrat, will continue his over 30-year career in Jefferson County following a huge victory in Tuesday’s election. Abdalla beat Republican challenger Mark Clark by more than 10,000 votes, securing his role until 2020. Abdalla received 20,377 votes, while Clark received 9,422. The race for Jefferson County Commission saw a tighter competition, with incumbents David Maple and Tom Gentile keeping their seats with 15,940 and 15,139 votes respectively. Maple defeated Beth Rupert-Warren, who received 12,652 votes, while Gentile defeated Greg ...

Fletcher Elected as Hancock County Sheriff

Hancock County will have four more years of Sheriff Ralph Fletcher, a no-nonsense, mustachioed lawman who ran on a tough drug enforcement record. On Tuesday, Fletcher, 64, of Weirton, easily defeated Mark Cowden, a Republican opponent whose candidacy was seriously weakened by a conviction in October on an excessive-use-of-force charge. Hancock County voters chose Fletcher over Cowden by a vote of 7,445 to 4,966, according to unofficial results released by the Hancock County Clerk’s Office. The campaign for sheriff took an unusual twist in June, when Cowden, a retired sheriff’s ...

Scott Smith Elected To Fifth Term as Prosecutor

Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith already has spent 24 years working in the prosecutor’s office, and voters have indicated they want him there for four more years. Smith, a Democrat, defeated Republican Martin Sheehan in Tuesday’s election to win a fifth term in office. Smith received 10,794 votes; and Sheehan, 6,802, according to unofficial totals. Smith has been Ohio County prosecutor for 16 years, and prior to his first election to the office in 2000 he served as assistant prosecutor for eight years. “I have a terrific family — my wife Holly, two daughters, and twin ...