Race for commissioner seat gets Republican write-in

Commissioner Mark Sullivan's re-election bid brought out a slew of challengers within his own party, but by the filing deadline in December, no Republicans had announced for the seat.

But now former Athens County 9-1-1 coordinator Randy Mace, 61, has joined the fray as a Republican write-in candidate.

Sullivan, who has been accused of domestic violence twice in the past year, faces four other Democrats in the primary for his seat. They include Trimble Township Trustee Paul "Smoke" Barrett, former Democratic National Convention delegate Mike O'Brien, former Nelsonville City Council member Bob Baughman, and Pawpaw Festival organizer Chris Chmiel.

Last year, Sullivan was charged with committing domestic violence against then-wife Tammie Sullivan at their Millfield home. The couple is now divorced and Sullivan pleaded to a reduced charge of persistent disorderly conduct, paying a $250 fine, and being ordered to perform community service. He was given 30 days in jail as well, but this was suspended on condition he remained a law-abiding citizen for two years, paid the fine, did the community service, and completed a domestic violence intervention program.

However, on Jan. 10, Sullivan was arrested for alleged domestic violence against his adult niece. A special prosecutor has been assigned to that case, and it's still pending.

On Mace's side of the ballot, he faces no Republican opposition, but he will have to generate a minimum number of write-in votes during the primary in order to make it to the general election.

"A write-in candidate needs to get 50 write-in votes in the primary to earn a place on the general ballot, equivalent to the 50 signatures other candidates would have had to get to earn a printed place on the primary ballot," Mace explained in an email outlining what he's been told by employees of the Athens County Board of Elections.

Mace said that he is required to have paid the filing fee and met other requirements in order to be a write-in option.

In order for the write-in option to count for Mace, he explained, the voter must darken the appropriate oval and write in enough information to identify Mace as his or her selection.

"In my case, that could be Randy Mace, Randall Mace, R. Mace, just Mace or 'that Mace guy' or whatever," he said. "Nothing is displayed about write-in candidates at the polls but voters may ask and receive information from the poll workers."

Mace is a lifelong resident of Athens County, and a press release announcing his candidacy reveals that he was one of the principal organizers of the county's 9-1-1 emergency response system.

Among many other jobs in emergency-related agencies and functions in Athens County and the surrounding area, Mace for 15 years served as director of the Athens County Emergency Management Agency.

Mace grew up in New Marshfield where he attended Waterloo Elementary until it was consolidated with Albany and Lodi (Shade) schools to form the Alexander system.

Mace is a 1969 graduate of Alexander High School and a 1975 graduate of Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He and his family live on Radford Road near Athens.