Coin toss will decide Democratic nominee to run for commissioner’s seat in Ross

The winner of a tied race for the Democratic nomination to run for Ross Township’s Ward 8 commissioner seat will be determined by a flip of a coin, according to county officials.

In the race for the Democratic nomination in the May 18 primary, candidates Lauren Hergert and Denise Rickenbrode each received 255 votes, according to a revision in the unofficial tally from the election.

The county initially reported that Rickenbrode lost to Hergert by a single vote.

The county is scheduled to begin certifying the election results on June 7, according to spokeswoman Amie Downs.

If the tied vote remains after the ballots are certified, the candidates will be brought in determine the final outcome by “casting of lots, if they want to participate,” Downs said.

Hergert and Rickenbrode said they both would participate in the county’s process to determine a winner.

The winner of the coin toss will face Republican Matt Kruth, who ran unopposed in the primary for his party’s nomination.

The Ward 8 seat currently is occupied by incumbent Commissioner Frances Salachup, who did not seek reelection.

Salachup was appointed in July to complete the unexpired term of Republican Jeremy Shaffer, who was resigned because his family moved out of the township.

Three of the four Ross Township commissioners who are up for reelection this year faced no opposition in the primary for party nominations but could face challenges for their seats in November’s general election from people who received write-in votes.

Only 10 write-in votes are needed to get on the ballot in November, according to county election officials.

People who receive enough write-in votes to run in the general election must accept the party’s nomination and be qualified to run before their names are placed on the ballot.

Ross has a nine-member board of commissioners elected by ward. Representatives for the even-numbered wards are up for reelection this year.

In Ward 2, incumbent Commissioner Chris Eyster ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the primary.

No Republicans sought the nomination, but 151 write-in votes were cast on the GOP ticket.

Incumbent Ward 4 Commissioner Joe Laslavic, who is seeking a second term in office, ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket in the primary. He received 505 votes to win the nomination.

There were 80 write-in votes on the Republican ticket for the Ward 4 seat.

Ward 6 incumbent Commissioner Jason Pirring also ran unopposed in the primary on the Democratic ticket. He picked up 428 votes in his bid to run for a second term.

No Republicans sought the Ward 6 nomination, but there were 12 write-in votes cast on the GOP ticket.

The fall general election is on Nov. 2.