DAYTON, Ohio — Voters in Montgomery County decided several significant local races on Election Day.

What You Need To Know

  • Jeffrey Mims Jr. will be the next mayor of Dayton

  • Shenise Turner-Sloss and incumbent Darryl Fairchild earned seats on Dayton City Commission

  • There were key races and issues in other areas throughout Montgomery County, including Kettering and Centerville

  • Voter turnout for the county was just under 21%

​There were about 90 races for positions across the county, including the mayor of Dayton and seats on Dayton’s city commission. There were also 16 issues on the ballot ranging from levies to referendums.

ELECTION RESULTS

Off-year municipal elections typically attract a smaller voter turnout than big-money national races, which can attract rates around the 70% range. But even still, the unofficial voter turnout was low across Montgomery County at 20.91%.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections anticipated between 20% to 25%.

Below is a breakdown of the races in Dayton and some of the other key races around the county. You can find complete election results on Spectrum News' website (LINK).

Mims to replace Whaley as mayor of Dayton

Jeffrey Mims Jr. will be the next mayor of Dayton.

The Democrat defeated Rennes Bowers roughly 2 to 1. Mims won 10,118 of the 15,116 votes cast.

Mims Jr. was the more liberal of the two candidates, with Bowers running a platform that stressed items, like investment in police and fire, small business growth and government transparency.

Mims Jr. has been on city commission for the past eight years. The former educator ran a platform that emphasized investment in neighborhoods and helping residents, particularly children. He has stated key areas to address are safety, education and recreation opportunities.

A retired firefighter from the Dayton Fire Department, Bowers stressed his lack of City Hall experience as a positive.

“I am just beyond words actually. It’s just very special that the people of Dayton have demonstrated faith and confidence in me. I could not be more excited than I am right now," Mims said during his victory speech, according to DaytonNow.com.

Mims replaces outgoing mayor Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who is running for the Democratic nomination in the Ohio governor's race.

He will be the first new mayor in Dayton since 2013.

City commission adds a new face, brings back a familiar one

The county's unofficial election-night results show newcomer Shenise Turner-Sloss and incumbent Darryl Fairchild have claimed the two available seats on Dayton City Commission.

Each earned nearly 29% of the vote, with Turner-Sloss finishing as the top lead vote-getter. This was her third time running for commissioner.

They defeated the pair of Stacey Benson-Taylor (23.4%) and Scott Sliver (19%)

Turner-Sloss and Fairchild held a joint watch party at Bar Granada in Dayton. It's a familiar spot for the two Dayton natives.

Turner-Sloss is a Logistics Management Specialist with the federal government. A graduate of Dayton Public Schools, she holds a Masters of Science in General/Public Administration from Central Michigan University.

Fairchild, a University of Cincinnati graduate, has been a commissioner for three years.

Turner-Sloss and Fairchild join Matt Joseph and Christopher Shaw on the commission at the start of the year.

Other key races in Montgomery County

Centerville: Incumbent JoAnne C. Rau received the most votes in the race for three open seats on Centerville City Council. She earned 26.1% of the vote.

Rau was followed by by fellow incumbents John E. Palcher (21.3%) and Bill Serr (21.1%). Both Palcher and Serr will serve another term.

Challengers Dan Apolito and Leah E. McCullough finished with 16.5% and 15%, respectively.

Kettering: Voters had several open spots on City Council, including two at-large seats and two district seats.

In the at-large race, incumbent Jacqueline L. Fisher reclaimed her seat by securing 36.1% of the vote. But it was a tight race overall.

Jyl Hall, an adjunct professor at United Theological Seminary, was runner-up with 33.5% of the vote. She claimed the second seat. Joseph Patak came in the third with 29.8% of the vote.

In the District 1 council race, Lisa M. Duvall held off challenges from David Brown and Darrell Meshew. In the District 2 council race, Bob Scott narrowly defeated John J. White, 52% to 48%.

Former state Sen. Peggy B. Lehner ran unopposed for mayor. She replaces four-term Mayor Don Patterson, who is term-limited.

You can find the rest of the local election information on the Montgomery County Board of Elections website.

Issues on Montgomery County Ballots

The Human Services tax levy was one of the issues on the Montgomery County ballot. It passed by a nearly three-to-one margin, 74.2% to 25.8%. The levy will pay for services for the elderly, abused children, the homeless and people struggling with substance abuse. 

Englewood voters overwhelmingly 'Yes' on a request for additional revenue for Fire and EMS services, while voters in Phillipsburg voted down an additional 3 mills in a Streets and Bridges levy. If passed, it was expected to bring in more than $22,000.

Voters in Riverside approved an additional 1% income tax to cover police, fire and EMS services. Perry Township residents voted against a measure to raise taxes to support fire service. If passed, that levy would have brought in an estimated $300,000 in revenues.

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