COSHOCTON − The Coshocton County Board of Elections has confirmed Rick Conkle has filed to run as a write-in candidate for Coshocton County Commissioner in the fall general election.
Conkle will face Chuck Ellis, the recently retired owner and president of Pearl Valley Cheese. Ellis won the Republican nomination for the seat in the spring primary over Dean Hettinger and Chuck Selders.
Conkle previously told the Tribune he planned to file as an independent candidate for the position, but didn’t file by the independent candidate deadline on May 4.
Conkle served one term as commissioner from 2020 to 2024 and chose not to seek re-election at that time.
The winner in the fall will replace Gary Fischer, who chose not to seek a new term. Seats held by Bob Bigrigg and Dane Shryock are up in 2028.
As a write-in candidate, Conkle’s name will not appear on the ballot. Those wishing to vote for him will have to write it in if using a paper ballot. If using an electronic ballot, they will press the bubble for write-in candidate and type Conkle’s name on the on-screen keyboard.
Marcus Welling, director of the BOE, said poll workers on Election Day will have a piece of paper with Conkle’s name on it for those who request it to assure proper spelling, but it’s board policy not to advertise write-in candidates in order to remain neutral.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 18 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Former county commissioner Rick Conkle launches write-in campaign
Reporting by Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune / Coshocton Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune | USA TODAY Network
