By Paula Pyzik Scott

Bluffton ballots for the November 4 General Election include the opportunity to vote for three Village of Bluffton council candidates. Four seats on council will be open in January 2026, with Jerry Cupples, Mitch Kingsley and David Steiner not running for reelection.

The three candidates are Thomas Downey (write-in), Liz Gordon-Hancock and Phill Talavinia (incumbent).

Two potential candidates, Don C. Burris, Jr and Robert Benjamin Hill, had their petitions run as write-in candidates invalidated by the Allen County Board of Elections. The fourth seat will need to be filled by appointment.

COUNCIL CANDIDATE BACKGROUNDS

Thomas Downey was born in Bluffton and raised in Beaverdam. He has been a resident of the area all his life, and commuted to a job in Toledo for five years. Downey is a mechanical engineer. He notes that with his daughter having graduated from high school, he has time for the role of council member. He has served on the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Bluffton Beyond Tomorrow steering committee. Downey “wants to help the town grow and thrive.” He says he doesn’t see the need for lots of change and seeks to bring knowledge to the table.

Downey is a write-in candidate. Voters may request a list of write-in candidates at the polls as a reference for how to spell a candidate’s name.

Liz Gordon Hancock was born and bred in Bluffton. She has a degree in English Literature from Ohio Northern. She studied in Wales, where she met her husband, and lived in England for 10 years. Gordon-Hancock now owns a building on Main Street and has three children who attend Bluffton Schools. She served on the Bluffton Beyond Tomorrow Steering Committee and wants to see the resulting comprehensive plan come to fruition. She notes that Bluffton needs to be prepared for Ohio requirements to form a city charter if and when the community gains 500-100 more residents.

Gordon-Hancock would be the fourth woman to serve on Bluffton’s council. Stella Lauriat, Lee Ann Kagy and Judy Augsburger have preceded her. 

Phillip A. Talavinia moved to Bluffton in 1985 to work for Bluffton University, where he is currently the Vice President for Student Affairs and Athletics. Talavinia was initially appointed to fill a council seat about 11 years ago and has been reelected two times. He notes that growing up in Pennsylvania, he was always intrigued with politics, and that holding an elected office was always on his bucket list. He looks forward to helping newly elected council members come up to speed. The current council gets along well, he notes, and has established a good, flexible priority list for capital improvements. His focus is to be a good steward of the money available.

For more information on Bluffton ballots, visit https://allen.boe.ohio.gov/