MANSFIELD — Mark Romanchuk knew he was stepping outside of his Richland County comfort zone when he decided to run for the Ohio Senate.
But the veteran businessman and legislator made it pay off on Tuesday, winning the Republican primary in a district that includes Ashland and Medina counties and a small portion of Holmes County.
“Thank you so much to the voters who have made their voices heard. I am truly humbled by the overwhelming support I have received from all four counties in the district during this primary,” Romanchuk said.
“As a conservative businessman and legislator, my core focus has always been ensuring that we create an environment where businesses and families can thrive and where elected officials are accountable to their constituents,” he said.
“Just as I have done for over seven years as a member of the Ohio House, I look forward to continuing to fight for the conservative principles of lower taxes, less spending, and more jobs. Now that the primary is behind us, I look forward to the November election and ultimately to serving as the next state senator for Ashland, Holmes, Medina, and Richland counties,” he said.
Romanchuk will face Democrat Steve Johnson of Ashland in November’s general election. Johnson was unopposed in the primary.
Romanchuk received about 58 percent of the 29,031 votes counted Tuesday, according to final, unofficial totals from the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.
Vote totals for Medina County, the last to report, were not posted until just before Wednesday at 2 a.m.
The 57-year-old Romanchuk is completing his forth and final two-year term in the Ohio House from the 2nd District, representing all of Richland County. Term limits prevent him from seeking re-election.
Current Sen. Larry Obhof (R-Medina), who also serves as the state Senate president, is prevented from term limits from running for re-election.
Romanchuk received 16,944 votes, besting Brunswick Mayor Ron Falconi, who finished second with 6,712. Crestline resident Cory Branham, a school teacher and military veteran in his first bid for elected office, was third with 3,478 votes.
Michael Reynolds and Timothy Hoven, both Medina County residents, finished fourth and fifth in the primary with 1,216 and 681 votes, respectively.
Branham, 31, ran a strong campaign, finishing ahead of Falconi in every county except Medina. He congratulated Romanchuk on his victory.
“Additionally, thanks to Ron, Tim, and Michael for their efforts. All people need competition, in any contest, to stay sharp and this 5-man primary brought that,” Branham said.
“Before my focus shifts to supporting the Republican Party in winning the general election, I wanted to thank all my supporters and opponents, the media, and the groups that took the time to hear what I had to say. Running for this office was a dream come true.
“While it did not go the way I had planned, it was a journey well worth the efforts. I learned so much! As one who teaches history, politics, economics, and geography, living it was a great experience. I made new friends, many I suspect I’ll be in touch with for years to come,” Branham said.
“The political landscape is largely unwelcoming to a newcomer. Political giants, including past presidents, lost their first run at office. I’ll regroup! Immediately, it is likely back to the classroom for me. However, I am entertaining some possibilities in the private business sector – possibilities that came about while on the campaign trail,” said Branham, an 11-year veteran of the active duty U.S. Air Force who teaches secondary social studies in a Mansfield-area high school.
Falconi on Wednesday issued a statement wishing Romanchuk the best in the general election.
“Although the result was not what he had hoped, we are proud of our grassroots effort and what we were able to accomplish – especially in such challenging times,” Falcon said.
“Thank you to all of our supporters, volunteers, and most importantly my family, who helped me run a positive, issues-based campaign,’ Falconi said.
It’s almost guaranteed Tuesday’s vote totals will change due to the nature of the absentee, mail-only voting that has taken place since the original March 17 primary was halted hours before it was due to begin.
For example, Richland County Board of Elections Director Paulette Hankins said Tuesday night that 214 provisional votes were cast and 1,887 absentee ballots were issued, but not returned yet.
“We have no way of knowing how many of those 1,887 will come back within the 10-day period and will be postmarked by April 27,” she said.
County election boards will meet May 12 to verify/validate the provisional ballots and rule on the late, but eligible, absentees to add in with the official Results.
The boards will then meet again on May 19 to certify the results of the final, official totals.
Romanchuk is the owner and president of PR Machine Works, Inc., a contract manufacturer providing precision machining, fabrication, and assembly services in the city of Ontario.
Prior to his work with PR Machine Works, he worked at Hughes Aircraft Company as a U.S. diplomat to the former Soviet Union in support of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
He was also based in Japan as a team leader and technical advisor to the U.S. Navy in support of the F/A – 18 aircraft.
The 2020 primary will long be remembered as the longest election cycle in state history. Candidates had to file for the office in 2019 and the primary election day was planned March 17.
Late on March 16, hours before in-person voting was to begin, state health director Dr. Amy Acton ordered the polls to remain closed, citing the COVID-19 outbreak.
State lawmakers, including Romanchuk, then approved a plan to extend only absentee-voting by mail through April 28.
