Bowers and Wortham will compete in a Republican primary in May to determine who moves on to the November general election to face incumbent county Commissioner Carolyn Rice, a Democrat.
Bowers, who in the past has described himself as a “biblical conservative,” ran for Dayton mayor last year but was easily defeated by Jeffrey Mims Jr., a two-term city commissioner.
Wortham last spring came in sixth place in a seven-person run-off election for a couple of seats on the Dayton city commission.
Wortham, who has described himself as a businessman, served as a Dayton police officer between 2013 and 2019.
Rice, who won her seat in 2018, previously served as the Montgomery County Treasurer for more than a decade.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
All three current Montgomery County commissioners are Democrats.
The board of elections on Wednesday also certified the petitions of Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith, a Democrat who will compete against Republican Karl George Kordalis, a criminal defense attorney, in the November election.
Keith was appointed auditor in 2000 and has won reelection to the office ever since.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Kordalis unsuccessfully ran for Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge in 2020.
Three Democratic hopefuls and three Republican candidates had their petitions certified in a race for the unexpired term of a county common pleas court judge.
The top Democratic and the top Republican vote-getters will appear on the November ballot.
Democratic candidates are: Jacqueline Gaines, Angelina Jackson and Tony Schoen.
Republican candidates are: Bob Hanseman, Michelle Henne and Kimberly Ann Melnick.
The seat was vacated by Judge Gregory Singer, who retired at the end of 2021.
The board of elections will hold a meeting on March 8 to consider and certify the petitions of state House and Senate candidates.
Ohio’s Congressional and state House and Senate maps are still up in the air due to litigation.
David Esrati, a Dayton resident, filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking an injunction against the board of elections.
In his complaint, Esrati claimed the board is violating state open meeting laws because its agenda does not contain sufficient information about actions before the board.
About the Author
