TippNews DAILY will be publishing the election results LIVE and streaming on our site November 2nd. So, if you are not in front of a TV or radio that evening, click on over to TippNews.com and find out if “your guy” is winning! Thanks to the Tippecanoe Gazette for providing this comprehensive coverage of the candidates!
Election Overview
Several Tipp City area residents are on the ballot for next week’s general election in Miami County.
In addition, the Bethel Local Schools are asking voters to renew a 3.67-mill, four-year operating levy.
Contested races on the Nov. 2 ballot include:
County Commissioner: Incumbent John “Bud” O’Brien, a Republican, and John Farrier, a Libertarian. Both live near Tipp City
County Treasurer: Pat Quillen, the Republican candidate appointed to an office vacancy in 2009, and David Mihalyo, a Democrat, of Tipp City.
County Common Pleas Court Judge: Richard Davis of Tipp City, Chris Gee of West Milton and David Beitzel of Troy are the candidates in the nonpartisan race.
State Representative, 79th District: Incumbent Richard Adams of Troy, a Republican, and Howard Guy Payne, a Democrat, from Ludlow Falls
State Senate, 5th District: Fred Strahorn, a Dayton Democrat appointed to a vacancy in 2009, and Bill Beagle, the Republican candidate, of Tipp City.
Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Ballots will be counted afterward at the Board of Elections Office in Troy.
More information is available by calling the Miami County Board of Elections at 440-3900.
Polling Places
Tipp City
Tipp City A/B: Zion Lutheran Church, 5 W. Main
Tipp City C/D: Zion Lutheran Church, 5 W. Main
Tipp City E: Dave Arbogast Buick Pontiac, 3540 S. County Road 25A
Tipp City F: Tipp City Board of Education, 90 S. Tippecanoe Drive
Tipp City G: Nazarene Church, 1221 W. Main St.
Tipp City H: Tipp City United Methodist Church, 8 W. Main St.
Tipp City J: St. John Catholic Church, 753 S. Hyatt St.
Monroe Township
Monroe East Central: Monroe Township Building, 655 Michaels Road
Monroe Northeast: Dave Arbogast Buick Pontiac, 3540 S. County Road 25A
Monroe Southeast: First Baptist Church, 6533 S. Tipp-Cowlesville Road
Monroe South: Charity Baptist Church, 445 W. Evanston Road
Monroe West: Tipp City Church of Christ, 6460 S. County Road 25A
Bethel Township
Bethel East: First Baptist Church New Carlisle, 8870 E. State Route 571
Bethel South Central: Bethel Township Building, 8735 S. Second St., Brandt
Bethel Southeast: First Baptist Church New Carlisle, 8870 E. State Route 571
Bethel West: West Charleston Church, 7390 S. State Route 202, Tipp City
Bethel Local Schools: Operating Levy Renewal
Bethel Local Schools are asking district voters to renew a four-year emergency operating levy at 3.67 mills to help deal with state budget cuts and increasing costs.
The levy millage, first approved in 1999 at 5.5 mills, has decreased with an increase in property owners residing in the district and an increase in property values, Superintendent Jeff Cassell said. The levy will continue to generate $531,000 a year, beginning in 2012. The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home would be $112 per year, down from the $168 per year, the levy cost for a $100,000 home in 2000.
Money For Operating Expenses
Money from the levy would be used for operating expenses such as the purchase of textbooks, paper, supplies, electricity costs, fuel for buses, propane for heating buildings, salaries and benefits, and purchased services such as upkeep of grounds, including practice and game fields.
“It is an important thing to keep our school with the operating money so that we can give the best education to our students in a global society. We’re trying to do what we can to give them the technology skills and others that they need. And, that does take money,” Cassell said.
Passage of the levy would not mean restoration of $122,730 in cuts implemented with this school year. Former Superintendent Robert Hoover, who Cassell said “did a good job of making reductions, trimming areas,” identified those cuts.
“We lost some programming but we still have the major programming intact,” Cassell said. The district this year also added a transportation fee for athletics and co-curricular activities, but did not go with a “pay to play” system.
Emergency Funds Needed
The emergency operating levy funds also are needed as part of the school funding package that includes a .075 percent, five-year earned income tax approved by district voters in the spring, Cassell said.
That is because of state funding cuts, growing costs, and the approximately 18 months it will take before the district sees the full benefit of the income tax, he said.
“The bottom line is we don’t know what the state is going to do to us. We are anticipating some kind of reduction … We don’t know how much,” Cassell said.
Among rising costs are those for insurance, which increased 15 percent. The district also will have employee contract negotiations in the spring.
If the levy does not pass in November, the board could place it on the ballot again in 2011. However, district officials hope the renewal is approved in November so they can turn their attention to facilities.
“We will be seeking input from the community and our taxpayers on what direction they want to go,” Cassell said of the upcoming facilities discussion.
Miami Co. Treasurer: Quillen Vs. Mihalyo
Patricia Quillen, a Concord Township Republican appointed Miami County treasurer in 2009, faces a Nov. 2 challenge for the office from David Mihalyo, the Democratic candidate from Tipp City.
Quillen, 59, was appointed by the Republican Central Committee following the summer 2009 retirement of long-time treasurer Lydia Callison. She served as the elected Concord Township fiscal officer from 2000-2009 and the appointed clerk-treasurer of the Village of Potsdam from 2004-2009.
Mihalyo, 47, has no prior political experience. He is a stay-at-home dad who recently began working part-time for an environmental consulting company in Troy. He serves on the Tipp Monroe Community Services Board and the Tipp City Parks Advisory Board.
An issue in the race is Mihalyo’s questioning of Quillen’s second job driving a bus for the Troy schools, a situation he called “unacceptable.”
Quillen said she is putting in the hours and doing the treasurer’s job, and she hopes she isn’t criticized for “being industrious.”
David Mihalyo
Mihalyo said he is running for treasurer because he wants to serve the people of Miami County and improve the office’s efficiency.
“We’ve been happy here in Miami County, and I feel it’s my way to serve the people, to say thank you. We are glad we were accepted here,” he said.
His family moved to Tipp City a decade ago from Columbus. He and wife Ramona, have a son, Angelo, and a daughter, Shauna, who attend the Tipp City schools.
A native of West Virginia, Mihalyo has a bachelor’s degree from West Liberty State College.
Mihalyo said his work in account management for an environmental company lends itself perfectly to the treasurer’s job. “My experience with managing multiple accounts is exactly what the treasurer does with fund management,” he said.
Among the top issues facing the treasurer’s office are accountability and accessibility, Mihalyo said. He thinks the office should regularly post in the newspapers and on the county website
where county funds are invested and what the county is getting on return.
“I also feel the website needs to be updated to allow for online payment as well as the ability to send questions to the office,” he said.
His background and education make him the best candidate for the job, Mihalyo said. “My degree in chemistry allows me to think in a logical way. In chemistry, if the equation doesn’t
balance it doesn’t work. The same rule holds true in the treasurer’s office,” he said.
Mihalyo said he’d work hard to be a full-time treasurer for county residents.
“They deserve no less than that,” he said. “She (Quillen) comes in late and leaves early. She is getting full pay for doing a part-time job. Miami County deserves better.”
If elected, he’d like to start a free monthly education program for the public, possibly featuring community college staff to talk about topics such as budgeting and finance. Mihalyo said he wants to help people as much as possible. “If we have to go to a monthly set -up to help someone make their tax on time because times are tough, let’s do that,” he said.
Mihalyo said he has not toured the Miami County Treasurer’s Office but visited offices in Montgomery and Darke counties to see how they operate.
Patricia Quillen
Quillen said she wants to continue serving in the office to which she was appointed. A Miami County native and Troy High School graduate, Quillen is married to Steve Quillen. She has 10 years experience in government finance and more than 35 years in the private sector. “My background in government finance should count for something. That was the reason I was chosen by the party to succeed Lydia (Callison),” she said.
The top issues facing the office include low interest rates on investments and improving services without increasing costs, Quillen said. During the past year, the office made a “smooth” transition from in-house property tax billing to a billing service, a move Quillen said will reduce postage costs and resulted in easier to read bills. Another challenge is delinquent real estate taxes. “I get calls daily. They want to know what they can do,” she said. The office is willing to work with people within legal requirements. “We try to counsel them as much as I can, what they can do to minimize the damage to themselves.”
Quillen, who previously drove a bus for Troy schools, gave up the job when she was appointed treasurer. “I wanted to devote myself to learning the job,” she said. “I think the transition has been seamless. Frankly, I think it is because of my staff and my organizational skills.”
She decided to return to driving this school year because she missed it. Two qualified people applied for two open driving jobs, she said.
The treasurer’s office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. She works there from 8:15 a.m. to shortly after 2 p.m., does not take a lunch break and returns at 4:30 p.m. then usually leaves a little after 5 p.m.
She said the staff of four has almost 60 years combined service, and is very capable and trustworthy. “Mr. Mihalyo’s concern that I have a second job seems somewhat disingenuous. I hope I won’t be criticized for being industrious,” Quillen said.
She, too, would like to upgrade the office’s website. However, the county does not have the infrastructure to accommodate an interactive site, she said, and, with budget cuts, money is not available. “We just don’t have the resources right now. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, but that is the reality.”
County Commissioners: O’Brien Vs. Farrier
Incumbent John “Bud” O’Brien, a Republican, faces a challenge on Nov. 2 from Libertarian John Farrier in the race for Miami County commissioner.
Both candidates live in the Tipp City area.
O’Brien, 47, has been a county elected official since 1996.
He served as county recorder from 1996-2006 and has been a commissioner since 2007. A graduate of Milton-Union High School and Wright State University, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he also serves as county Republican Executive Committee Chairman.
He and his wife Kim have three children – Johnny, Melanie and Joey – all in college.
Farrier, 32, has no political experience in elected office. A graduate of Tippecanoe High School, he has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Wright State University. He works for Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor, in developing and analyzing projects and project management. He and his wife, Lisa, have one son, Corbin.
John Farrier
Farrier said there wasn’t any one, but several, factors that motivated him to run for county commissioner.
“I have always talked about politics,” he said, adding that he also read about the history of politics and political principles. “I thought, ‘You know, I don’t like the way things are going. I can sit here and read more about it. I can talk to my friends more or I can try to do something about it.”
He said he looked at options and saw a county commissioner with no challenger and “room for someone who is more conservative” on the commission.
“I want to help Miami County keep its government from growing and find ways to reduce expenditures, lower taxes, and ways to get the government out of business,” he said.
Farrier said he would “treat every dollar spent as though it was taken from someone within the county.”
That, he said, “is in contrast to my opponent who will treat every dollar as if it were his own. While this is a good start, this often-used phrase does not get to the heart of where the money comes from and alters one’s perspective on how and why money should be spent.”
As an example, Farrier questioned the commissions’ recent approval of spending $5,000 for an identification sign for the county transfer station on County Road 25-A between Troy and Piqua.
“When I go there, I have no problem
finding it (transfer station). The people in the county are hurting. The country is in what I believe to be horrible financial shape, but they felt it necessary to take all of the tax income that the county collected from four families to buy a sign that is more readable,” Farrier said.
“Is that a big deal on its own? No, but you add up those decisions over the course of a year and I think there is a lot of money there.”
Farrier said commissioners also raised fees at the recorder’s office to pay for equipment.
“Where were the budget cuts to pay for the new equipment? I am sure in individual cases there is circumstances and explanations … but those are the things that motivate me to want to do this,” he said.
Another item he would be “much more hesitant to vote for” would be travel training requests for county employees.
“They are not listed out on travel/training approval, on who is doing what, but I see a lot of it. It is at least suspect,” Farrier said.
He said he’d like to see if there are more opportunities for privatization of county jobs to help reduce expenses.
When it comes to jobs, Farrier said government cannot create them. “What government can do is get out of the way of the people trying to do it,” he said. He said he believes those who own property or a business should be able to do what they please with them, a principle he thinks has been followed by current leaders. Farrier said before filing to run, he checked the commission work schedule and talked with his employer. “If I win, there are options,” he said, adding that, although it would require sacrifice, he would have time for the job. “At this point, I don’t have aspirations beyond this, but I think it’s important to try.”
John “Bud” O’Brien
O’Brien, who said he’s proud of what the county commission has accomplished in difficult economic times, said experience is needed to help the county continue to move forward. He is completing his first four-year term on the commission. O’Brien said the county has faced many challenges with the economic downturn.
“Through diligence and hard work, the team of county elected officials has balanced the budget with $4 million in cuts to the general fund. Even while cutting expenses we have invested in badly needed new technology so we can make county government work smarter and more efficiently,” he said.
He would continue to support “conservative fiscal management, promoting economic development and keeping Miami County a safe place to raise a family.”
Among top issues facing the commission are bringing good paying jobs to the area by working “every day with our economic development partners in the region,” O’Brien said.
The commission must continue to update the county’s technology infrastructure and balance the budget while maintaining financial standing with banking and financial markets, he said.
O’Brien said his 15 years in government is joined by private sector experience, including owning a business. The county “is a business. We operate as much as we can as a business.” The commission looks at privatization whenever possible, taking that road last year when hiring a building cleaning service, he said.
O’Brien said he never thought anyone would run against him saying they are more conservative. “I have always run on the philosophy that it’s not my money. It is the taxpayers’ money, but I spend it as if it is my own. What I mean by that is: we don’t spend money frivolously because it is the taxpayer money,” he said. “We squeeze every penny out of every dollar in Miami County. I’ll put Miami County’s government operations and budgetary experience up against any county.”
O’Brien said the $5,000 transfer station sign was a justified purchase. He said the station does not operate on sales tax dollars, but on fees such as the tipping fees. “The reason we need the sign is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting more burden on governments to increase recycling. More and more people are going to have to go to the transfer station for recycling type events,” he said.
“And, the number one question we get from folks on the phone at the transfer station is, ‘Where are you located?’ Even though there is a sign by the road, there is no signage on the building to say ‘here we are.’”
O’Brien said the $2 recording fee questioned by his opponent was not an additional fee. Those fees are set by the state, and the county can earmark $2 for an equipment fund to improve the recorders’ office technology. With travel/training accounts, O’Brien said the commission, by law, must approve requests for employee reimbursement. The commission looked at travel/training during budget cutting and, because it is a “small part,” decided to let office holders decide how to spend for training/meeting attendance from the budgets they are allocated.
O’Brien said he would continue to be a full-time commissioner. “I don’t have another job. I enjoy my time with Miami County. I feel like I have a good cross section of experience in both the private sector and the public sector to be effective for the citizens.”
Miami County Health District 0.4 Mill Levy
Voters are being asked Nov. 2 to continue a Miami County Health District 0.4-mill levy, funding called the department’s “lifeblood” by Health Commissioner Jim Luken. The 0.4 mills is the same millage approved by voters every 10 years since 1990.
This request is listed on ballots as an “additional” levy because of a change in wording to include the city of Troy in the area that votes on the levy.
The levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $12.25 per year, beginning in 2012. The same person now is paying $10 a year, Luken said.
“We will do our best to get the word out to convince people how valuable a service it is, and inexpensive for them,” he said.
The health district covers the entire county, except Piqua, which has its own health department.
In the past, Troy residents did not vote on the levy, or pay the tax, because the city paid Troy’s share out of the general fund. The city this time asked the district to include voters in the levy as part of city efforts to control general fund costs.
Other Losses Making Funding Vital
The continued funding is vital as the health district works to balance its budget due to losses of state and federal grant funding and fee income from the construction trade, Luken said.
Because of those losses, the district will reduce its budget by about 25 percent by the end of 2010. The cuts include not filling vacancies, layoffs, and reductions in hours for most of the staff. The cuts would be needed even with the levy’s passage, Luken said.
Because of the economy, the district’s board thought it would not be prudent to ask voters for increased millage, Luken said.
“It is not a lot of money, but it is our basic foundation and our lifeblood,” he said of the levy. “We leverage that income to get grants (still available after state/federal cuts).”
The property tax brought in $423,055 in 2009. The “additional” levy would generate an added $104,000 a year.
Among district services are food safety (restaurant inspections), inspecting household sewage treatment systems, inspecting pools, nuisance abatement, health education (already reduced by funding cuts) and immunizations.
The district’s role has changed over the years, Luken said, pointing to a list of public health issues unheard of 10 years ago such as MRSA (the staph infection known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and bioterrorism. “The department has to constantly adapt” to changing threats and needs, he said.
For more information on the health district visit www.miamicountyhealth.net or call (937) 440-8105.
79th District State Representative
Incumbent Richard Adams of Troy faces a re-election challenge Nov. 2 from Democrat Howard Guy Payne of Ludlow
Falls in the race for the 79th District State Representative.
The district includes Miami County and a portion of Darke County. Adams, a former Miami County commissioner and superintendent of the Upper Valley JVS in Piqua, is the Republican candidate.
Payne is the Democratic candidate. He failed to respond to requests for information and, in a brief phone discussion, said he “didn’t know” if he wanted to talk about his bid for office.
Richard N. Adams
Age: 71
Address: Troy
Previous Political Experience: Two terms Miami County commission; first term, Ohio House of Representatives
Education: B.A., M.S. and PhD from The Ohio State University
Family: Wife, Sandy; three adult children
Adams said he is running for another term in the Ohio General Assembly to make state government more accountable, with improved management. Among top issues facing the state are balancing the budget and making Ohio a good place to farm, own a business and to live, Adams said. In addition, he said the state must fulfill its responsibility to be a financial partner with local school districts.
He said he is the best candidate for the office because of his success at the superintendent of the Upper Valley JVS, a county commissioner and as state representative the past two years. He also pointed to his active participation in community activities. “I go to Columbus to do or undo those things that are important to the citizens of Miami and Darke counties,” Adams said. “I have a vision of what needs to be accomplished and the experience to work to get change and positive results. I have demonstrated the ability to use taxpayer money wisely.”
5th District State Senate
Bill Beagle, a former Tipp City councilman, is taking on Fred Strahorn of Dayton in the race for the 5th District State Senate.
The seat covers Miami and portions of Darke and Montgomery counties.
Beagle, won the Republican nomination in the May primary, besting Joe LeMaster of Arcanum.
Strahorn, a Democrat, was appointed to the seat in March 2009, replacing Sen. Tom Roberts who resigned to serve on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
Strahorn, 45, is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in aviation management. He was a state representative from 2000-2008.
Strahorn has a daughter, Morgan Allison.
Beagle, 45, served on Tipp City Council from 2003-2009 and was council president in 2006-2007.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Miami, Ohio, University and a MBA from Cleveland State University. He is a small business owner, managing rental properties.
Beagle and his wife, Karen, have three children, Morgan, Ryan and Lauren.
Bill Beagle
Beagle said he’s running because he’s “fed up with career politicians who treat this seat like it’s an entitlement.”
He said he wants to go to Columbus to create an environment where companies feel confident in hiring again and to get finances in order. He does not see the job as a stepping stone in a political career, Beagle said.
The top two issues voters are talking about are jobs and government spending, Beagle said.
“People say it different ways, but they are concerned about losing their job, having their hours cut, or knowing people who have. They are frustrated they or people they know can’t find a job,” he said.
“Also, they often talk about not being able to pay more in taxes or they express a frustration with the government spending and taxes seeming to always go up while they have had to cut their spending to live within their budget. Voters are frustrated their government can’t do the same thing.”
Beagle said he thinks his experience as a private sector business owner along with his city council work make him “uniquely qualified for challenges Ohio faces right now: job growth and managing a budget in a difficult financial environment.”
He said he’d like voters to know he is a small business owner and family man with a long history of serving his community. He’s served on the boards of the Tipp City Public Library and Tipp-Monroe Community Services.
“This state senate race is another chance to put my proven success in the private sector and public sector to work for our region,” he said.
Fred Strahorn
Strahorn said he believes it is important to have someone with experience in state government to work for the 5th District at a time when serious issues face Ohio.
“I am seeking to continue work on the things that I think are important, and to provide a voice of experience, of reason, a voice that cares more about problem solving than which party someone is in,” he said.
Strahorn said his work as s legislative staff member before his election to the Ohio House and then a Senate appointment helps him to better understand the issues and to see that every vote will affect someone.
“I believe I have tried to deliver service through constituent services but also offer experience in focusing on some of the core issues that affect our state: education, health care, employment,” he said.
The top issue on people’s minds is jobs, Strahorn said, adding that issue cannot be looked at in a vacuum.
Related issues include taxation, education for an adaptable workforce, infrastructure from broadband to airports and an uninterruptible power source, he said.
Strahorn said his work as a teenager and after college with his dad, a bricklayer, gave him the perspective needed in the state senate.
“When I was sweating and dirty all day, I may not have appreciated it, but, looking back on it, it keeps me in touch,” he said.
“My job is a nice title, but at the end of the day, I am the employee of the people of the 5th District. I want to serve people. That is why I do this.”
Miami County Judge
When Judge Jeffrey Welbaum decided this summer to retire early, he opened the door to a Nov. 2 race for the Miami County Court of Common Pleas that drew three candidates.
Christopher Gee, 62, of West Milton has been a magistrate for the Common Pleas Court for 13 years, while Richard Davis. 62, of Tipp City and David Beitzel, 59, of Troy are in private legal practice.
This is the first campaign for public office by Gee and Beitzel. Davis ran for municipal court judge in 1999.
Because the ballot filing deadline had passed when Welbaum retired in late August, the county Republicans selected Gee as their candidate. The Democrats nominated Davis. Beitzel filed petitions to place his name on the ballot.
The race is nonpartisan so political parties will not be attached to candidate names.
The Common Pleas Court term runs through December 2012.
David Beitzel
Beitzel said he was asked to run by lawyers and non-lawyers of all political affiliations.
“I offered them the integrity and character they wanted in a judge. In response, I concluded I possess superior professional qualifications and valuable courtroom experience,” he said. “I received almost 1,000 petition signatures to get my name on the ballot. I was not chosen by a few people behind closed doors.”
Among issues Beitzel said face the office are upholding faith in the justice system, including the selection process; cost containment; and efficiency through the administration of justice.
He is a graduate of Miami, Ohio, University and received a Juris Doctor from the University of Akron.
Beitzel said he has more than 34 years appearing as a lawyer in 24 Ohio counties and federal courts in Dayton, Toledo and Columbus.
“I represented both plaintiffs and defendants. I represented individuals, corporations (big and small), insurance companies, small businesses and municipalities as well as other governmental entities,” he said.
Beitzel said a Common Pleas Court judge, more so than any other skill, must be able to fairly and efficiently conduct jury trials.
“I tried dozens and dozens of jury trials before many different courts. I know how courts are run efficiently and effectively, and I know how they are not,” he said.
Beitzel and his wife, Kim, have three sons.
Richard Davis
Davis, who has lived in Miami County most of his life, said the wants to use his knowledge and experience to serve the county’s residents.
“I have practiced law in a vast array of cases over more than 36 years,” he said. “I want to serve the people of Miami County by utilizing my knowledge and experience to insure the full and fair administration of justice in Miami County.”
Among issues Davis said face the office are crime, especially, drug offenses, and modernization of facilities during tight budget restrictions.
He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and received a Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University.
Davis said his experience ranges from death penalty cases and medical/injury litigation to small claims and various traffic violations.
“Because I have not specialized in a specific area, such as civil law or domestic relations, I am the candidate best equipped to preside over the broad variety of cases filed in Common Pleas Court,” he said.
The office of judge of Common Pleas Court is not a political office, Davis said.
“It is about being fair and impartial. Based on my experience as a former prosecutor, mediator and litigator, I know I will be fair and impartial to all parties,” he said.
Davis and his wife, Brenda, have two sons and three grandchildren.
Christopher Gee
Gee said he decided to run after being encouraged by county residents and talking with family, friends and members of the bar.
“I was approached by Miami County citizens who were concerned about who would succeed Judge Welbaum. After discussion …, I know I am the most qualified candidate to carry forward the high standards established by Judge Welbaum and Judge Lindeman,” he said.
Gee said the top issues facing the court include the quality of the person who succeeds Judge Welbaum.
“My 13 years of experience as a magistrate … will enable me to work closely with Administrative Judge Lindeman to collaborate with other county elected officials in the team management approach that has kept our county government fiscally sound,” he said.
He said innovative approaches should continue, such as the drug court he administers. The court, he said, “is a cost -saving approach that encourages rehabilitation without sacrificing accountability.”
Gee is a graduate of the University of Dayton, where he received his Juris Doctor.
He also has worked as a magistrate in probate and juvenile courts and as an assistant prosecutor and has been involved in civil and criminal trials.
“I have the experience, strong work ethic and commitment to the rule of law that makes me the best candidate,” he said.
He and his wife, Kathleen, have three children.
