Fernandez and Conner take Allen County Board seats, ending half-century GOP hold

Allen County voters shifted power to the Democratic Party on Tuesday, breaking a fifty-year streak of Republican dominance on the Board of Commissioners. The results mark the first time since the 1970s that the party controls a seat on that body.

Jorge Fernandez and Kate Conner defeated Republican opponents Ozzie Mitson and Paul Moss. Their victories gave Democrats a majority on the county board, the primary governing body for local administration. Commissioner Ron Turpin, a Republican in his third year, remains the sole incumbent on the board.

The open seats resulted from the departure of two long-serving incumbents. Rich Beck and Therese Brown announced they would not seek reelection, leaving Turpin as the only returning commissioner. The shift in power extends beyond the county board, with Democrats also winning multiple state legislative races.

Statewide results showed a similar pattern of Democratic gains. Blaine Sefton unseated State Sen. Tyler Johnson, while Julie McGill defeated State Sen. Liz Brown. In the House, Democrat Timothy C. Murphy beat State Sen. Blake Fiechter, and Wesley Haffenden won the District 83 representative seat against Christopher Judy. Former party chair Misti Meehan also secured the District 84 seat over Bob Morris.

Local officeholders faced tougher challenges than their state counterparts. Democrats defeated incumbent Recorder Nicole Keesling, Auditor Jacquelynn Scheuman, and County Councilmen Mike Clendenen and Don Wyss. Chad Wierzbinski, the Allen County Democratic Party Chairman, told reporters that the group united to make the community better for everyone.

Republicans retained some positions despite the sweep. State Reps. Martin Carbaugh and Dave Heine won reelection, defeating Sharon L. Wight and Mark Wehrle, respectively. In the congressional race, Marlin Stutzman held his seat statewide, although Kelly Thompson outperformed him in Allen County by nearly eleven points. Steve Shine, the Allen County Republican Party Chairman, was not immediately available for comment on the results.

The last time a Democrat held a county commissioner seat was before 2019, when Sharon Tucker left County Council. She had been the last Democrat to win a county-level election in the region.