One local race to be on March ballot

VW independent staff

The March 19 primary ballot will be a light one, at least in terms of local races. The primary election in Ohio will be held earlier than usual because 2024 is a presidential election year.

Wednesday was the deadline for partisan candidates to file petitions with the Van Wert County Board of Elections. The only local contested race will feature incumbent Republican Van Wert County Commissioner Todd Wolfrum, who’s being challenged by fellow Republican Lucas Myers. Myers originally filed to run against incumbent Commissioner Stan Owens, but withdrew those petitions.

Eight other incumbent Republican officeholders are running unopposed – Prosecutor Eva Yarger, Clerk of Courts Cynthia Mollenkopf, Sheriff Tom Riggenbach, Recorder Kim Hughes, Engineer Kyle Wendel, Coroner Scott Jarvis, Treasurer Jeff McIntosh, and Common Pleas Court Judge Martin Burchfield.

Incumbent 82nd District State Representative Roy Klopfenstein is running unopposed in the primary but will have a challenger in the fall. Democrat Magdalene Markward has submitted petitions to run. Klopfenstein and Markward ran in the November, 2022 election and Klopfenstein won 33,183-8,583. The 82nd District includes all of Van Wert, Paulding and Putnam counties along with the southern portion of Defiance County.

The 2024 primary election will also feature races for Ohio General Assembly seats, Ohio Supreme Court Justice, the Third District Court of Appeals, along with U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative and U.S. President.

Just one issue, for Convoy Fire & EMS, will be on the March primary ballot.