By: Chelsie Firestone
The VILLAGE REPORTER
With much talk surrounding the upcoming November election, approximately 45% of Williams and Fulton County voters turned out at the polls on March 15 to help determine which names would appear on the November ballot.
John Kasich was able to edge out Donald Trump on the Republican side of the ballot, earning 46.8% of the votes to Trump’s 35.6%. Ted Cruz took in 13.1% and Marco Rubio took in another 2.9% of the votes. Both Williams and Fulton County were in agreement with the statewide numbers Williams County voted 45.89% and Fulton County voted 47.80% in favor of Kasich. The win in Ohio earned Kasich 66 delegates. However, it was Trump’s only downfall on that Tuesday as he took wins in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, and North Carolina.
On the Democratic side of the ballot, Hillary Clinton edged out Bernie Sanders with Clinton earning 56.5% of the vote to Sanders’ 42.7%. Neither Williams nor Fulton County were quite in agreement on this side of the ballot, however. Both counties gave favor to Sanders, who took in 52.59% of the votes in Williams County and 50.30% of the votes in Fulton County. While Sanders might have been the local favorite for the Democratic nomination, he took no wins on the night of March 16 and is quickly falling behind Clinton in the delegate count.
The nod to appear on the Republican side of the ballot for Williams County Commissioner, for a full term commencing on January 3, 2017, went to Terry Rummel with 42.03% of the votes over Scott Lirot’s 33.59% and JB Orendorff’s 24.38%.
The bulk of bids for party nominations went uncontested. It should be noted that the Primary is used to help determine which candidates will appear on the November ballot and, while the majority of local races will likely be ran uncontested, that nominees have not yet been elected.
In area issues, Williams County voted 54.13% against the proposed income tax and bond issue for Central Local Schools.
In Fulton County, the Clinton Township 0.3 mill renewal for current expenses gained 63.47% approval; the German Township 0.6 mill renewal for fire gained 80% approval; the Archbold Local School District 4.98 mill levy for emergency requirements of the school district gained 72.79% approval; and the Wauseon Exempted Village School District 4.2 levy for emergency requirements to the school district gained 62.55% approval.
Chelsie can be reached at
chelsie@thevillagereporter.com