A Troy resident, Duchak first ran for sheriff in 2016 against three other Republicans in the race to fill the seat previously held by Sheriff Charles Cox, who died in office. Reece, a Piqua resident, was among those challengers in 2016 and again ran against Duchak in 2020.
The unofficial vote Tuesday showed Duchak with 63.55 percent, or 10,144 votes, to 36.45 percent, or 5,818 votes for Reece.
“I am very humbled, grateful for all of the support from the community, not just this election but the ones in the past,” Duchak said. He thanked those who worked on his campaign and to his friends, family and staff for their support.
“I look forward to another four years and I will always give it my best,” he said.
Duchak, 59, said the biggest challenges facing the office include narcotics enforcement, employee recruitment and retention, and combining the county’s two aging jails. Reece, 58, had said the department’s main challenges were dealing with crime, recruiting and retaining employees and prioritizing fund allocation.
“I want to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to all those who supported our campaign,” Reece said late Tuesday evening. “I am so proud of my family and many, many friends who went the distance with us. God blessed us to have met so many great people all throughout Miami County.
“We made new friends, and we learned about their concerns for our country and our county. Moving forward, we will always continue to fight for our freedoms and liberties. Thank you and God bless you all,” Reece said.
The board of elections will meet April 2 to certify Tuesday’s vote. Before then, 137 provisional ballots cast Tuesday across the county will be reviewed, and those meeting requirements will be added to vote totals.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
About the Author