MANSFIELD – Richland County went all red at the local level during the 2016 general election, with Republicans now occupying the majority of county elected seats.
For Marilyn John, chair of the Richland County Republican Party, it feels pretty good.
“I think we’ll go forward in working closely together as county elected officials,” John said. “We have some big things we have to take care of, so we need to make sure we’re working together as a team to accomplish the best for the residents of the county.”
According to John, there are 16 county elected officials in Richland County – 11 county seats, and five judges. After the Nov. 8 election, there are now two Democrats and nine Republicans in the county seats, and two Republicans and three Democrats in judge seats.
The domination of Republicans on the local ticket is partially due to what Sheriff Steve Sheldon described as the “Trump Effect.” In Richland County, president-elect Donald Trump received 66.18 percent of the vote.
“As in any national election, there is going to be a local effect,” John said. “That doesn’t take away from the work that is done at the local level, but there is going to be an impact on local races.”
Typically a presidential election draws the highest turnout of voters in a four-year period. In Richland County, the turnout for the Nov. 8 general election was 66.76 percent. During the 2012 presidential election, the turnout was 78.30 percent for the general election, and for 2008 the turnout was 90.05 percent.
Although the overall numbers were down significantly, it’s clear that many voters who did turn out in Richland County were aboard the “Trump Train.” John noted the local Republican party distributed 8,000 Trump yard signs across the county.
“I think that speaks volumes of how people felt,” John said. “But the national media still doesn’t understand; they’re not doing a very good job of listening.”
In particular, John said, she rejected the stereotype of all Republicans being painted as racists. She also rejected the idea that women would automatically vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton based solely on gender.
“I think it’s belittling to people to think that because I’m a woman that’s the only thing I think about,” John said. “I have a brain, I have priorities. And that’s been happening for eight years.”
With such a majority of Republicans in local government, John looks forward to a higher level of collaboration throughout all county positions.
“One of the things I saw during the campaign is how much the Republican candidates worked together,” John said. “A lot of them didn’t know each other going into the campaign, but they spent a lot of time together knocking on doors, coordinating signs and even texting back and forth. They were all really supportive.”
Two Republican candidates in the 2016 general election unseated Democratic incumbents to contribute to the Republican majority. Tony Vero defeated Democrat Gary Utt for a Richland County Commissioner seat, and Gary Bishop defeated Bambi Couch Page for Richland County Prosecutor.
“I couldn’t be more happy,” Bishop said. “I sincerely believe that the candidates that ran and won really are genuine, sincere public servants. They really have the best interest of the county at heart, and I think they’re going to make the county a better place.”
Bishop noted that even on Election Night, the newly-elected Republicans realized the scope of responsibility they now carry.
“I think it’s going to be great, not only because we’re all of the same political view, but we all really appreciate the tremendous responsibility that’s been bestowed on us,” Bishop said. “None of us want to take that lightly.”
John now becomes the veteran on the Richland County Board of Commissioners with just two years of experience under her belt. With the election of Vero and Darrell Banks, it’s the first time in approximately 12 years the commissioners have all three been Republicans.
“The three of us like each other very much, we get along very well,” said Vero of his new co-commissioners. “Not to say we’ll agree on everything, but it’s obvious that because we like each other and we respect the work we put in, come next year we’ll respect each other’s opinion. I’m very excited to work with both of them.”
As commissioner, John said she is looking forward to balancing the county’s General Fund, addressing the county’s drug problem, and increasing economic development.
“Having a financially strong county is a huge step forward, which has an impact on the drug problem, which has an impact on our economy,” John said. “So what can we do to really be involved?”
More than anything, local Republicans are excited to get started.
“I can’t wait until January,” John said. “I think it’s going to be fun seeing how we all work together.”
