DELAWARE — The results are in for Delaware County Fair royalty.
The 2026 fair king is William Ashton, and the fair queen is Renee Johnson.
Both were selected from two other senior royalty candidates: Logan Lucas and Brandon Davis for king, and Gracyn Dean and Emily Sturman for queen.
Those candidates were named the senior fair princes and princesses.
The junior fair court also included princes Austin Chapman and Cooper Batterson and princesses Reagan Schnipke and Whitney Burt. Junior fair princes and princesses represent 4-H members ages 13 to 15.
Candidates were nominated by their respective 4-H groups before participating in private interviews, where they each answered the same questions. Those selected for the court then answered a randomly drawn question during the fair.
Johnson and Ashton were selected queen and king based on their responses to the randomly drawn question.
2025 Fair King Jake Wecker and Queen Kylie Simpson drew each contestant’s question from a bowl.
The judging panel included Ohio Future Farmers of America President Austin Manning, Ohio 4-H Foundation President Joel Oney and Brown Township Trustee Connie Skinner.
2026 Fair King William Ashton
Ashton is a Buckeye Valley High School senior representing the Rabbits and S’mores 4-H group. He was asked, “How would you earn someone’s respect if you’ve never worked with them before?”
“I would continue to put myself out towards them. I would continue to show myself as a respectable person, and continue talking with them and telling them about my life as well as communicating with them about their own life,” Ashton said.
“I would learn about how their work ethic works, and how their values align with my own,” he said. ”I would work with them and continue chatting with them, and eventually, I would learn how they operate and how I can adapt myself to operate with them as well.”
Ashton is an active member of marching band, concert band and the pep band where he plays the trombone.
After senior year, he hopes to purchase farm land in Delaware County and raise sheep, something he already has lots of experience in. He’s also interested in potentially moving out west to purchase a ranch.
Ashton also travels out of state to show rabbits, but he does not plan to keep raising rabbits at his future farm.
“4-H has really helped influence that for me. I currently take lots of sheep projects through the fair — breeding sheep, market sheep,” he said. “I took an animal science project and I spun it around as part of sheep.”
2026 Fair Queen Renee Johnson
Johnson graduated from the Delaware Area Career Center in the spring, where she studied zoo school and represents the Mane Attraction 4-H Club.
As soon as Johnson realized she was going to be crowned queen, she put her hands over her mouth in disbelief and began crying.
“I was so nervous about this. The past two nights, I barely slept. And I’m so happy; I’m so grateful,”she said.
Johnson was asked, “Social media can have a really bad representation. What are the positives that social media could bring?”
“Social media can be very beneficial for people because it allows you to connect yourself with people you might not be able to meet in your everyday world and really see people and find people from communities of things that interest you or things you’re passionate about,” she said.
Johnson was also a senior princess last year.
She has participated in horse riding since she was 5 years old and previously was a part of choir and band.
Johnson chose to take a gap year after graduating, but plans to attend college in Florida next fall where she will study wildlife conservation and research.
As fair queen, she looks forward to riding in the starter car on Little Brown Jug day, meeting other people during fair events and going to as many county fairs as possible.
“I see so many people uplifting others, connecting with others, just being there to really, really help people and stick themselves out to make a difference or advocate for things,” Johnson said.
In addition to being crowned king and queen, both received a $250 stipend, a belt buckle and lunch and treats from various sponsors.
“One of my favorite things last year was little kids coming up to me like, ‘You look like a princess. I want to be like you,’” she said. “That was so much fun and worth more than any ribbon.”
