MANSFIELD — Tony Vero said Tuesday night that his best campaign message for a third term as a Richland County commissioner was his previous eight years in office.
The 45-year-old Lexington resident defeated challenger David Morgenstern in the Republican Party primary. With no Democrat on the ballot, Vero will likely be unopposed in November for another four-year term.
“I’m not so sure it’s much about messaging. I think it’s more in terms of actually tracing this back to 2016 when we told voters we were going to do certain things,” Vero said, recalling initial campaign promises to fix the county’s finances and “restore a work ethic” to the commissioners’ office.
“We did the simple things we said we would do. I think we’ve certainly delivered, in today’s divisive political climate, where people say politicians just talk,” he said.
Vero received 64 percent of the 13,411 votes cast, according to final, unofficial results from the Richland County Board of Elections. He received 8,605 votes compared to 4,806 (36 percent) for Morgenstern, also a Lexington resident.
It’s the second straight time Vero has beaten Morgenstern in the GOP primary. Vero received 70 percent of the vote against the same challenger in 2020.
It’s the eighth time Morgenstern has a lost a bid for a commissioner’s seat, running every two years since 2010.
Vero credited current commissioners Darrell Banks and Cliff Mears, as well as former commissioner (now state representative) Marilyn John for helping accomplish goals established eight years ago, including being full-time commissioners.
“We said we were going to bring a work ethic back to the county. When I say that, that’s that’s looking introspectively at us,” Vero said.
“I think if you ask those in the building, you have three active commissioners who are in the building all the time, who are present. That includes Marilyn. We are truly working and that’s just not just (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).”
As the son of a high school basketball coach, Vero said he learned to take any competition seriously, including politics. He said that led to him knocking on more than 1,000 doors for the primary election, and his supporters knocking on 300 more.
“I think when you do not take the election process serious, you do a disrespect to the voters. So our focus really is never on the opponent,” he said. “That’s the approach we take. I learned that from my father and I learned that growing up in sports.
“Certainly, the statistics say the incumbent generally wins an election. But if you take that approach, you’re going to lose. And I think it’s absolutely disrespectful to the voters and the elections process if you don’t work really hard,” he continued.
“I think that’s what’s important to voters. Do you show a passion and an energy for the job? That has zero to do with who’s running against me, no matter how many times he or she’s run against me. I think when you start focusing on your opponent, I think that’s when your motives go wrong,” Vero said.
“So we focused on what we wanted to do and we trusted the voters, who we felt would see the work and the passion and truly the love we have for Richland County.”
Vero also praised his supporters’ efforts on his behalf.
“It is not possible to win an election without the generosity, time and support of others,” he said. “We are extremely thankful to those who have supported us. Whenever you have that support, you always have a chance to win, and we are grateful to have had that support.”
Vero said one of his biggest goals in the next term is the broadband internet project along U.S. 30.
“Could you imagine the day, even a decade ago, where Richland County would lead a broadband project that runs across the entire state of Ohio … where Mansfield and Richland County would be the hub? I think that’s a testament to a lot of pieces and parts coming together,” he said.
“When a politician wins an election, there’s probably going to be a lot of happiness and a lot of things being said. So I understand how this will come across, but there truly are a lot of really good things happening in this county and it is important with the pieces in place that we just continue to make that happen.”
