Sasha Rittenhouse took home the bulk of votes in the May 3 Republican primary election for the commission race, and Rittenhouse was appointed as acting commissioner in June by the Clark County Commission when Commissioner Rick Lohnes retired before his term expired.
Dale Henry
Henry, of Springfield, said he’s running independently for the Clark County commission race because he doesn’t like being “put into a box.”
“Besides, I think outside of the box,” he said. “And I don’t consider our problems, our solutions to be partisan.”
In the more than 200 years of the Clark County’s history, a person of color has never served on its commission, Henry said.
He also said that the commission currently does not have a representative living in the county’s largest city, something he’d like to see change.
Henry said if elected, he would work to better the relationship and communication between the townships and the county government. One component of this would be the opening of the countywide 911 dispatch center.
He said he also would work to take advantage of and celebrate the strengths of the county: one of which is the agricultural history of the area.
Clark County is the birthplace of 4-H, and Henry would like a museum in the county to recognize that and serve as a revenue stream and tourist attraction.
A stronger focus on the county’s role to support the Miami Valley Water Compact and the effort to promote preservation of the area’s aquifer would also be priorities for Henry.
Henry said he has a record of community service in the county and beyond: he served in the U.S. Army, served as the mayor of Springfield and deputy mayor of the city, served on Springfield’s City Commission, worked at the Clark County Board of Elections Office as deputy director and as a member, and currently serves as president and groundskeeper of the Gammon House in Springfield.
He worked for General Motors for 30 years, aside from his other community involvement. He currently works in the Springfield City School District.
Henry is a graduate of South High School in Springfield, as well as Clark State College and Wright State University.
“I’m trying to be as energetic as possible and get around to the different communities, municipalities and townships in Clark County to let folks know I’ll listen and I want to stay in touch,” he said.
Tracey Tackett
Tackett has owned and operated Sip and Dipity Paint Bar for nine years.
If elected, the business owner would prioritize strengthening retail and manufacturing sectors in the county, as well as encouraging small businesses, to create economic growth in the county. Tackett said she would also work to strike a balance between development and maintaining rural spaces.
Tackett said one of her primary concerns, though, would be ensuring the county has an abundance of first responders.
“Our county is safer and more secure when we are able to attract and retain quality personnel in those roles,” she said.
Attracting and retaining “high-quality deputies and firefighters” comes from being able to offer salaries and benefits that are competitive, Tackett said.
Tackett said that if elected, she would also work toward providing facilities and personnel to respond to community violence. She pointed to the need for jail space and the completion of the countywide 911 dispatch center.
“The 911 Dispatch service is the vital, first link in the public safety chain,” she said. “The county commissioners need to continue active oversight of the project through to completion as quickly as possible to ensure public safety.”
If elected, Tackett said she would also prioritize exploring options for green energy locally, increasing mental health services, and showcasing the I-70 corridor to attract passersby.
She’s also involved in organizations like the Springfield Arts, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity.
Tackett is also a community organizer behind many local events: downtown trick-or-treat, First Friday Makers Market and more.
Tackett has worked with the American Cancer Society of Clark County and currently serves as both a national and state representative for the Epilepsy Foundation, a topic of which Tackett is an advocate. Her daughter, Morgan, died in 2019 from complications related to epilepsy.
Tackett is a graduate of Clark Shawnee High School and JVS, and she holds a degree in political science and organizational leadership from Wittenberg University. She is currently working toward her master’s degree in public policy and leadership.
Sasha Rittenhouse
Republican Rittenhouse, of New Carlisle, has been sitting on the Clark County Commission since her appointment as acting commissioner in June.
Rittenhouse also formerly served as the president of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association — the first woman to hold the title in the organization’s nearly 70-year history.
Her experience working as a liaison between association members and legislators, Rittenhouse said, was rewarding, and it inspired her to look toward public office as a way to serve her home county.
Rittenhouse said that working for her dad’s grocery chain instilled in her the value of working toward your passions. For her, the passions are agriculture and community service, two things she has been able to combine locally.
Rittenhouse and her family are heavily involved in Clark County’s local 4-H and FFA programming, and she has coordinated efforts to raise funding for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House through youth agriculture programming.
Rittenhouse said she would focus on several projects if elected to the seat next term: supporting law enforcement during the ongoing opioid epidemic, navigating the balance between urban development and preserving rural land, and building the county’s fairgrounds into a “national destination.”
Rittenhouse said that given her experience on the commission so far, she has helped with developments in the county to attract new employees.
Rittenhouse also said she would work toward alleviating the mental health crisis and work to curb the impact of the drug epidemic.
“This also is an issue much larger than Clark County, Ohio, but something that we need to focus on and do what we can at the local level,” she said.
Rittenhouse operates agricultural businesses with her husband, where she manages payroll and other administrative responsibilities and also cares for cattle.
She is a graduate of Northwestern High School, and she has degrees in agricultural business and animal science from Clark State College and the Ohio State University.
The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 8 general election is Oct. 11, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.
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