Dayton voters on Tuesday narrowed the field of city commission candidates from six to four, and the top vote-getters who advance to the November ballot were Commissioners Matt Joseph and Chris Shaw and Valerie Duncan and Marcus Bedinger, the results show.
Joseph received about 30.2% of the vote, Shaw got 26.8%, while Duncan got 13% and Bedinger got 11.4%.
Contenders Jordan Wortham and David Esrati did not make the cut after garnering about 9.5% and 9.2% of the vote, respectively.
This contest had familiar faces because five of the six candidates had run for the city commission before, though only the incumbents had ever prevailed.
Bedinger was the only political newcomer in the race. He works as a retail manager but previously he served as a constituent liaison for U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) when he lived in New York.
Duncan ran for the commission before in 2019 and 2021, but she received the fewest votes of any candidates in the special elections those years and did not advance to the general election races.
Esrati unsuccessfully ran for municipal office several times before, while Wortham vied for a seat two years ago but did not win.
Shaw is seeking a third term on the commission, while Joseph is seeking a sixth.
Joseph on Tuesday night said he and Shaw have had a consistent message that seems to resonate with voters.
“We’re trying to make Dayton clean and safe. We’re trying to take care of infrastructure and make Dayton a more equitable place,” he said. “It’s nice to see that voters still like the message.”
Shaw said he thinks voters believe that Dayton is on the right track, and while things aren’t perfect they are getting better.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” he said. “I’m really going to begin to accomplish some of the things that I began several years ago.”
Duncan has said if elected she would be another independent voice on the commission that would help break the current “monopoly” of power at City Hall.
On Tuesday night, she told this newspaper that she could tell while out campaigning that things were different this go-around and she felt there was more support of her and her plans. She said she promises to focus on the things community members care about, like improving services for needy populations.
“I hit a chord with them,” she said. “They probably picked up on my sincerity.”
Bedinger has said he would be a much-needed fresh face on the commission who offers a new vision and brings creative ideas.
Bedinger attributed his performance and success at the polls on Tuesday to what he called the community’s strong appetite for change.
“I am thankful that the community found faith in me. I’m excited for our future,” he said. “I was born and raised in Dayton, so people know me ... I think it’s clear that I have connections in this community and people are excited about change.”
Joseph and Shaw also were the top vote-getters in the May 2019 special runoff election, which was the last time they were up for reelection.
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