Mays leads Stone early in Greene County; Duchak leads for Miami County Sheriff

Mar. 19—Republican primaries in Greene, Warren, and Miami counties will determine who is running unopposed in November for multiple key government positions.

Xenia Mayor Sarah Mays was leading the Republican primary for a Greene County Commission seat after the first partial, unofficial results were reported by the Greene County Board of Elections at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. Early voting ballot totals showed Mays had received 52% of the vote, while former Beavercreek mayor Bob Stone had received 48%.

Additionally, Joe Kennedy led the primary for the Greene County Recorder race with 42% of the vote, Rebekah Dean trailing with 32% and Ken Kraus with 26%, per early voting results in at 7:45 p.m.

In Miami County, incumbent sheriff Dave Duchak led the primary for his office with 72% of the vote, with challenger Paul Reece trailing by 28% of the vote, per early voting results from the Miami County Board of Elections at 8:20 p.m. Tuesday.

Breighton Smith led the GOP nomination for the Warren County Clerk of Courts with 58% of the vote, followed by opponent Scott Male with 42% of the vote, after the first partial, unofficial results were reported by the Warren County Board of Elections.

Thousands of votes remained to be counted.

Greene County Commission

Former Mayor Bob Stone of Beavercreek and current Xenia Mayor Sarah Mays are running in the Republican primary to fill the seat of County Commissioner Rick Perales, who is not seeking reelection. Since no Democrats filed to run for the seat, the winner of the Republican primary has a clear path to victory in November.

Both candidates emphasized economic development, property tax relief, and infrastructure improvements in the county as their top priorities.

"Both as a decorated Vietnam veteran and as mayor, I have shown the ability to make critical decisions under pressure, particularly during the 2019 tornado and the COVID-19 pandemic," Stone said. "My initiative to utilize surplus funds for property tax relief exemplifies my commitment to managing county funds with integrity and transparency. I believe that as an elected official, it's crucial to listen to every voice, to listen and learn."

One of Mays' top priorities is workforce development, including encouraging Greene County students to pursue careers in STEM fields, healthcare, education, and skilled trades — and having adequate housing to support those workers.

"Being a lifelong resident with strong family ties in Greene County, I'm personally invested in attracting and retaining families," Mays said. "It's crucial for us to take proactive steps." — Current Greene County Commissioner Tom Koogler's seat is also up for reelection. He is running unopposed.

Greene County Recorder

There is a three-way Republican primary in the race for county recorder, between Rebekah Dean, Joe Kennedy, and Ken Kraus. With no Democrats filing petitions for the position, the winner would run unopposed in November.

The County Recorder is responsible for keeping and maintaining accurate land records, including deeds, titles, liens, and other documents.

Kennedy is president and director of operations at Kennedy Property Group in Xenia, and said he has 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. His top priorities if elected include building relationships with staff, having meaningful conversations with people that use the Recorder's office, and improving efficiencies between the office and other government agencies.

Kraus is chief deputy to the Greene County Recorder, calling it "one of the best-run offices in Ohio," and adding that "experience matters." He's been in the real estate and title examiner/abstractor industries for 35 years. He said he will continue the office's ongoing technological improvements, making documents available online. He also wants to continue teaching citizens how to use the free Fraud Protection Notifications program.

Dean, a former a former Xenia City Council member, said she is running to make a positive impact in her community. She said her top three priorities are data security, transparency, and pursuing new opportunities for the office.

Miami County Sheriff

In Miami County, incumbent sheriff Dave Duchak faces a challenge from Paul Reece. Duchak has defeated Reece the past two elections.

Both Duchak and Reece are Republicans. No Democrat filed petitions for the office, so the winner of the March primary should be elected in November.

Duchak said the top challenges facing the department are narcotics enforcement, staff recruiting and retention, and combining two jails. He said the heavy flow of drugs requires "tough enforcement combined with treatment." Duchak said his office sped up recruiting processes and worked with commissioners to get good pay raises for deputies.

Reece agreed about recruiting and retention being a priority, and said he would put more focus on the quality of the work environment. Other top issues for him were engaging with residents to work on crime rates, and a mix of adequate staffing but fiscal responsibility.

Warren County Clerk of Court

Breighton Smith and Scott Male are seeking the GOP nomination to the Warren County Clerk of Courts Office; the winner will be unopposed in November.

Male, 57, is a retired law enforcement officer with more than 30 years of experience in the Warren County criminal justice system. During that time, he served as chief investigator for the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. His top priorities if elected are to improve how records are kept and accessed, including an expansion of the electronic filing system to streamline how documents are transferred to and from other agencies.

Smith, 37, is a law office manager and has a law degree. His top priorities include maximizing efficiency to save money, modernizing clerk's office's technology to make it more effective for all the people it serves, and expanding on the clerk's office's legacy of professional, positive customer service.