Who’s running for Dayton Mayor and Dayton City Commission? It’s a free for all.

We know Nan Whaley is not running. But, were we ready for this? Everybody and their mother is running- or claiming they will. Remember- until you have 500 certified signatures- you ain’t running. So far, only Jordan Wortham and Gary Leitzell are on- for commission and mayor respectively.

Prospective Candidates for Dayton City Commission and Mayor 2021

Right now the Dayton field of candidates that are certified:

• Mayor- Gary Leitzell, petitions turned in 12/3/2020- why they aren’t certified yet is criminal. Certified 2/16/2021
• City Commission- Jordan Wortham petitions turned in 12/3/2020- not yet certified as well. Certified 2/16/2021

16 February 2021- comment- Why the BOE hasn’t certified these signatures yet is criminal. – release Friday Feb 19, 2021

Others: (and again- until you’ve turned in 500 approved signatures and properly filled out petitions- you are just a poser).

MAYOR

You will have 1 vote in the primary- and there are 5 potential candidates to narrow to the top 2 vote getters.

• Jeffrey J Mims Jr picked up petitions 1-6-21 for Mayor. Turned in 3-1-2021
• Gary Leitzell, petitions turned in 12/3/2020- why they aren’t certified yet is criminal. Certified 2/16/2021
• Keiana Davis 355 St Clair St picked up petitions Mayor 1-7-2021 turned in 3-5-2021
• Rennes Bowers 1404 Hillpoint Ln. Dayton 45414 Mayor picked up 2/8/2021 – turned in 3-3-2021
• Larry Ealy 712 Merideth St. Dayton 45402- picked up 2-9-2021, turned in 3/5/2021

City Commission

You will have 2 votes to chose between 7 potential candidates. Top 4 advance to the general in election where you will have 2 votes again to pick the top 2 winners.

• Jordan Wortham petitions turned in 12/3/2020- not yet certified as well. Certified 2/16/2021
• Shenise Turner Sloss is making her third run. Filed 2/22/2021, certified 3/2/21
• Jared Grandy is making his first run. He resigned from his job of “community-police relations” with the city in early June ^[1]. Turned in 3/1/2021
• Valerie Duncan is running again- making this her third time. Turned in 2/16/2021, certified 3/2/2021
• Darryl Fairchild is the incumbent. He could be a wild card in the Mayors race, but more than likely will run for City Commission again. If he opts to run for Mayor in a 3 way race with Mims and Leitzell, things could get ugly. There is also the option that he may do a Mary Wiseman and stop after one term, having seen the ugly underbelly of the Commission and city of Dayton politics and he just rides off into the sunset. Filed 3/2/202
• Scott Sliver is running again after taking two cycles and a special election off. He came close in his first run in 2015. His nominating committee? Chris Shaw, Matt Joseph, Tom Richie Sr., Jocelyn Rhynard, Ronda Risner. Hmmmm. Turned in 3/1/2021
• rumor– Stacey Benson-Taylor, regional director AFSCME- Tom Ritchie Sr. Replacement- secretary of Montgomery County Dem Party- also may have picked up for Dayton City Commission. This has been confirmed by Scott Sliver- the two may be running together. Turned in 3-1-21

Detritus by the wayside

• Nan Whaleypicked hers up 10/20/2020- but has withdrawn. Note- you don’t need to pick them up to run- Leitzell didn’t pick them up- but, he turned them in.
• Walter J. Hickman Jr. 2804 Princeton Dr Dayton 45406  2/3/2021- Mayor. Walter has tried to run previously- and failed to turn in signatures. He’s run as a write in for School board because he failed in the past.
• Mohamed Al-Hamdani – his ego knows no bounds. However, the former mutual admiration society affair between him and Nan is rumored to have ended. At this point- it’s purely conjecture if he will run.
• Jocelyn Rhynard- always holds her cards close to her chest- and sends out mixed messages. Hard to say what her next move will be. (she’s claiming to be running for school board again)
• Donald Domenick has also pulled petitions for commission 1-8-20121. He’s never managed to properly fill them out and turn them in. Of all the “community leaders” I’ve met- he’s the most like Trump- a total reality distortion field is in effect every time he speaks.
• Joshua L Hawes, 1304 Catalpa Dr. picked up 1/11/21 – Mayor.
• Donald L Young 116 Billwood Dr. picked up 1/15/21 – Mayor.
• Rumor has it that Rhine McLin may have picked up for Mayor.
• Audrey L. Anderson 238 Audubon Park Dayton 45402 picked up 1/12/2021 for Dayton City Commission
• Jason D. Gerard 204 Sears St. Suite 222 Dayton 45402 picked up 1/22/2021 for Dayton City Commission
• Grant Dixon 2101 Wyoming Ave Dayton 45410 Mayor Picked up 1 2/16/2021
• David Parker 318 Gramont Ave. Dayton 45417 Mayor picked up 2/16/2021

Petitions are due on Mar 5 2021 – notarized, and signed by the candidate, by that date. The primary, if more than 2 run for Mayor and more than 4 run for the two open commission seats (Mims and Fairchild) is May 4, 2021.

Also up this cycle I believe is Dayton Clerk of Courts- which is currently held by Mark Owens – who is the Dem party chair- and he runs unopposed every time.

This time he has opposition: Eric Walker 925 Reist Ave. Dayton 45417 picked up petitions 2/4/2021 Eric didn’t turn in- so Gehres runs unopposed. Vile. Of course, his petitions could fail (unlikely, then no candidates)

Also circulating petitions is Judge Dan Gehres’s son- Marty Gehres- because, well, you know, it’s the monarchy of Montgomery County- and we keep electing the people from the same families.

And, until the Board of Elections certifies petitions- it’s anybodies race.

The Dayton School Board has 4 seats coming up, currently held by Mohamed Al-Hamdani, Karen Wick-Gagnet, Rev William Harris and Jocelyn Rhynard. The deadline for these petitions isn’t until August- and the number of signatures is only 300.

updated Mar 5, 2021