Uncontested races return Bluffton elected officials, elect Alice Basinger as new school board member
By Paula Scott
Unofficial summary reports for the November 7, 2023 General Election have been issued by the Allen County and Hancock County boards of elections. Results for Bluffton mayor and council members, Bluffton Exempted Village school board members, Richland Township trustee and fiscal officer, and Orange Township trustee and fiscal officer are below.
Running unopposed, incumbent Richard Johnson received 1,187 votes as Mayor of Bluffton. (Report details)
Two council incumbents, Joseph Sehlhorst and Benjamin Stahl, ran as write-in candidates. There were 384 votes cast that have not yet been assigned to a candidate.
Two candidates were on the ballot for two seats on the Bluffton Exempted Village Schools board of education. Alice M. Basinger, a retired Bluffton teacher, received 1,758 votes. Incumbent Jeremy Scoles received 1,592 votes.
Richland Township voters elected trustee Michael D. Zimmerly, who received 1,781 votes. Larry Hoffman was elected as Township Fiscal Officer with 1,746 votes. Hoffman is currently finishing a term as BEVS school board member. (Report details)
Orange Township voters elected Thomas E. Green as trustee with 392 votes and Thomas D. Wagner to fill an unexpired term as trustee with 391 votes. Bart A. Moser was elected as fiscal officer with 362 votes. (Report details)
The full Allen County summary report is available at https://www.allen.boe.ohio.gov/
And the full Hancock County summary reports is at https://hancockcountyohioelections.gov/live/
Stories Posted This Week
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Friday, September 11, 2026
- Mennonite Home Communities provide backup phone numbers during outage
- Pirate volleyball wins in four vs. Elmwood
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- Pirate girls soccer silenced by Bath
- Pirate boys soccer nipped by Liberty-Benton
- September 11 Bluffton High School athletics lineup, streaming
- Sept. 12 Open Doors offers sneak peek at future Bluffton museum space
- Innovation Forum challenges leaders to think deeper about AI
- Invitation to Sept 15 Bluffton Lions program with Dr. William H. Kose
- Deer archery hunting begins Sept. 12 in Disease Surveillance Area
Thursday, September 10, 2026
- Women in Business program with Positive Nutrition
- It's time for Fall Storytime at the Bluffton Public Library
- Pirate girls golf win vs. Lima Central Catholic
- Pirate boys golf splits NWC tri
- Bluffton PTO is collecting Community Markets receipts
- Richland Twp. trustees hire mower and Zoning Inspector
- Schumacher Homestead plans a farm full of Fall Fest activities
- Hindsight is 20/20: Recent reports for RSV, flu, and COVID-19
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- Darrell Lee Diller, 92, managed a farming business
- Bluffton alumni will discuss pathways to chaplaincy
- Beaverdam cleanup day is Sept. 12
- Pirate boys golf 3rd at NWC quad
- Pirate volleyball outlasts Arlington
- Pirate girls soccer blanks Crestview
- Pirate boys soccer tie vs. Kalida
- Letter: The future of American agriculture
- Maple Grove Cemetery records now online
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- Bluffton Historical meets Sept. 9 at the 1899 Depot
- Jerry L. Blosser worked for DTR Industries
- Bluffton Schools cancelled on September 8, cleanup for biodigester malfunction underway
- July 2026 Bluffton Police Dept. activity report
- Hillville Rd. closure on Sept. 8-9
- Lions and friends will count pathway users in September
- Bluffton Ohio Historical Society takes part in Ohio Open Doors, Sept. 12