DELAWARE — Delaware County voters will decide the fate of four county government positions, along with four levies and seven retail alcohol permits, at the May 5 primary election.
Those county seats include county commissioner, auditor, common pleas court general division judge, and common pleas probate and juvenile division judge.
The primary election results determine which Republican and Democrat candidates for each seat will advance to have their names appear at the November general election.
Voters will also decide on the candidates running for the Ohio Senate seat up for grabs in the 19th district, and the available Ohio House seats in the 60th and 61st districts.
Candidates had to file by the Feb. 4 deadline, and the Delaware County Board of Elections met to certify those petitions on Feb. 10.
County commissioner race
Long-time county commissioner Barb Lewis, a Republican, is not seeking reelection after more than 10 years in her role. Lewis assumed office on Jan. 1, 2015.
Joe St. John and Renee Vaughan have both filed for the position on the GOP ticket, with Ryan Grissinger competing as a Democrat.
Joe St. John
John, 43, is mayor of Sunbury, where he has been a resident since 2014, according to information on Sunbury’s website. John was appointed as mayor in 2021, and elected to the position in 2022.
Prior to that, he was a Sunbury City Council member.
John graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in family resource management and works as senior vice president of consumer deposit services at Huntington National Bank.
Renee Vaughan
Vaughan, 54, is a Genoa Township Trustee, a position she was first elected to in 2019. Vaughan has lived in Genoa Township since 2011, according to her campaign website.
She also serves as president of the Delaware County Township Association, according to her website.
Vaughan’s professional background is in special education, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in special education from the University of Cincinnati and a Master’s Degree in special education from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ryan Grissinger
Grissinger, 49, is running for public office for the first time.
He specializes in building technology systems, according to his campaign website, which includes co-founding and serving as chief technology officer for Roof Maxx.
He attended Miami University where he earned a degree in accounting and business management, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The Westerville resident’s current role is founder and principal consultant at Polaris Pixels, according to his LinkedIn profile.
County auditor race
Incumbent George Kaitsa
Delaware County Auditor George Kaitsa, 82, is seeking reelection to his fifth term as a Republican. Kaitsa was first appointed as auditor in 2009 and elected to a full term in 2010, according to the auditor’s website.
He received the “Distinguished Auditor Award” from the County Auditors’ Association of Ohio in 2012, 2017 and 2022, and helped the county earn dual triple A credit ratings from S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service, according to the website.
Those ratings signify financial stability, making Delaware County the first in Ohio to hold four top bond ratings in 2024, according to the auditor’s website.
Kaitsa previously served on Powell City Council for 10 years and continues to live there as a resident. He earned a degree in economics from Kenyon College and holds an MBA degree from Ohio State University.
Challenger Donald Rankey Jr.
Fellow Republican Donald Rankey Jr., 67, challenges Kaitsa for the seat after losing his reelection bid for county treasurer in the 2024 primary election. Rankey served one term as treasurer, according to Delaware County Board of Elections results.
Near the end of his treasurer term, county commissioners filed a lawsuit against Rankey “after a statutorily authorized review of his investment practices found that Rankey violated county policy three times in the last year,” according to a Delaware County article.
The lawsuit sought to “compel Rankey to abide” by county policy, and eventually reached a partial settlement in March 2025 which prevented him from purchasing private-placement bonds for the duration of his term, according to another county article.
Rankey also previously served on Delaware City Council.
His background is in senior living management as founder of HomeLife Companies, Inc., which owns and operates retirement communities across the United States, according to Rankey’s campaign website.
The Powell resident earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Capital University.
Judges
Two Republican incumbent judges face no competition: Delaware County Common Pleas Court general division Judge Marianne Hemmeter and common pleas probate and juvenile division Judge David Hejmanowski.
Levies
The four levies to appear on the ballot include:
- Developmental Board of Disabilities: A renewal and increase levy of 2.7 mills for five years
- Porter-Kingston Fire District: An additional, continuing levy of 2.5 mills
- Shawnee Hills Police Department: An additional levy of 1.75 mills for five years
- Orange Township Fire Department: An additional levy of 2 mills for five years
Voters last approved the Developmental Board of Disabilities renewal in 2021 when it was a decrease to 2 mills. The levy supports the board’s programs, services and acquisition and maintenance of facilities.
The Porter-Kingston Fire District has succeeded in passing five additional tax levies since 1989, with the passage of the 2022 levy rescinding the 1989 one.
This proposed levy would be the sixth, bringing the total amount of millage up to 10.
Chief Mike Thompson said the department is collecting roughly 3.36 of the 7.5 millage in effect now because more housing developments have brought that number down. The proposed levy would bring the collection number up to 5.86.
“This is gonna pay for 24-hour staffing at the department,” Thompson said, along with helping pay for trucks, which have gone up in price significantly.
The Shawnee Hills Police Department additional levy seeks to add a tax levy to provide and maintain vehicles, equipment, buildings and payment of salaries.
It will replace the police department’s existing levy, which renews every three years at 2.5 mills, and is set to expire by the time the proposed levy will begin collecting.
Police Chief Russell Baron said he promised voters to make this levy change and he is following through on that vow.
The department is funded through the village’s general fund, but Baron said the levy helps “ease the burden.”
“It allows the police department to operate as is and lets the village continue to spend their resources on other village-related projects,” Baron said.
The Orange Township Fire Department wants to increase the length of a levy that was first passed in November 2023 at the same millage, but for three years.
The fire department also has a renewal levy at 7 mills for three years that voters last renewed in 2024. Both fund the department’s providing and maintenance of fire apparatus, buildings, water supply sources, ambulance equipment, personnel salaries and wages and other related costs.
Fire Chief Nathan McNeil said the levy helps support the department’s operation and if it passes, “in five years we’ll reevalute the need.”
Alcohol permits
The retail alcohol permits requests all fall under the “D class,” which are on-premises permits commonly issued to bars, restaurants and carryout stores, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s website.
Those seven permit requests are:
- Duchess, located at 3761 U.S. Route 42, Delaware, requests a D-6 permit
- Liberty Premium Wine & Craft Beer, located at 4290 Home Road, Suite H, Powell, requests a D-6 permit
- Open Bottle Wine and Spirits, located at 20 East Williams St., Delaware, requests a D-6 permit
- Hallihans, located at 12 West William St., Delaware, requests a D-6 permit
- Sand Bar Station, located at 59 Potter St., Delaware, requests a D-6 permit
- Longhorn Steakhouse, which will be opening a location on a 2.355-acre site just east of U.S. Route 23, requests a D-5, D-5i and D-6 permit
