According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election, challenger Chad Burroughs leads incumbent Sheriff Matt Melvin by 13 votes in the Republican primary.
Results are not scheduled to be certified until March 28 and the sheriff’s race could enter an automatic recount process if the margin is close enough.
As of Tuesday night’s posting of results by the Champaign County Board of Elections, Burroughs leads the race with 3,258 votes to Melvin’s 3,245.
On Tuesday night, the board of elections reported 45 absentee ballots remain to be counted if the ballots are shown to be postmarked in time and received by Saturday. There are also 34 provisional ballots to be checked before the election can be certified.
If there is an automatic recount triggered by a narrow margin of victory in any affected race, the board of elections will conduct the recount on April 11.
The deadline for Independent candidates to file for the November general election was Monday.
Barring a write-in candidate filing a letter of intent later this year, the winner of Tuesday’s election will become the next sheriff.
In another set of local races down lower on the ballot, the Union Township Republican Central Committee race results show Vicki House defeating Julia F. Johnson, 125-94, for the Union Twp. North seat and James P. Virts defeating A. Nino Vitale, 116-75, for the Union Twp. South seat. No other partisan central committee seats were contested in Champaign County.
Other local results, also deemed unofficial by the board of elections, include school and municipal taxation issues:
-Graham Local Schools 1% income tax failed by a wide margin, 67.55% against the tax to 32.45% for the tax.
-Mechanicsburg Schools emergency renewal levy failed by just 4 votes, 50.19% against the levy to 49.81% for the levy. A recount is possible in this race due to the close margin.
-Christiansburg voters approved both a current expenses replacement levy, 53.12% for and 46.88% against, and a fire and ambulance replacement levy, 63.28% for and 36.72% against.
-The village of Mechanicsburg voters approved an additional fire and EMS levy 58.91% for and 41.09% against.
-Goshen Township voters rejected an additional fire and EMS levy with 55.25% against the levy and 44.75% for the levy.
-Harrison Township voters rejected an additional levy to construct a township hall. The votes against were 57.66% and the votes in favor were 42.34%.
-West Liberty-Salem Local School District permanent improvements levy renewal was approved by voters in Champaign and Logan counties, 863 votes in favor and 533 votes against.
Schrupp withdraws
A change to the Tuesday ballot was necessary within the past two weeks to omit the name of Democrat Zulma Schrupp from the state senate race after Schrupp withdrew from the race due to potential conflicts caused by her occupation. Republican nominee Susan Manchester will become the next state senator representing Champaign County unless an Independent filed elsewhere in the 12th Ohio Senate District on March 18. There is also the potential for a write-in candidate to file later in the year.
Davis to join Urbana City Council
Edwin Davis will become Urbana’s third-ward council member after running unopposed to fill Dwight Paul’s seat for an unexpired term. Paul ascended to Urbana City Council president on Jan. 1 necessitating his seat be filled in the next election, which was Tuesday.
