Why you shouldn’t vote until election day in Dayton

Tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 early voting starts. But, what’s already started is the dirty tricks squads- and even on the last day, you could find out something about a candidate that may make you regret voting for them. It’s happened to me before.

There are still candidates forums, events, interviews and most importantly, the mailers you are about to start getting attack ads, like the one I just got with Jeff Mims attacking his opponent for Dayton Mayor- Shenise Turner-Sloss. (Full disclosure- I do work for the challengers- in this race, Turner-Sloss, Darryl Fairchild and Jacob Davis).

Last time, when Shenise and Darryl were running, the party sent out attack mailings that were unsigned- and absolutely dirty.

This time, Jeff is just desperate. As if he’s delivered anything except your tax dollars to developers.

Considering Mims hired Gen Murphy who doesn’t have a nice bone in her body, and probably commissioned this push poll this summer, you can expect a whole bunch more. For those of you who don’t know what a push poll is- it’s a fake poll, with biased nasty questions. We did a screen recording of it for you:

But wait, there’s more.

During the NAACP candidates forum intermission, Mim’s running mates Darius Beckham and Karen Wick had a little chat in front of a hot mic. It will tell you exactly what they think of the voters they want to represent.

Over the next 30 days all kinds of things could happen. If you vote early, you might not be fully informed.

You may see a side of a candidate you never saw before.

The FBI could always come in and tell us that they are going to do another round of indictments in “Operation Demolished Integrity” where they only charge Black people.

And, the most important deadline to learn everything you need to about the candidates is the Pre-General campaign finance reports due Oct. 23, 2025 to disclose activity through Oct. 15, 2025 This is where you find out who has bought and who has sold out.

Need some good examples?

How about when Kitt Cooper donated $10K to Rhine McLin and $5K to Nan Whaley? What? You don’t know who he was or why? Read about it here: Money may not buy happiness, but it might buy a politician And know this, Nan is calling donors to raise money for Jeff Mims, Darius Beckham (who she helped raise in the Friends and Family Program before handing him over to Jeff Mims) and Karen Wick.

As it is, the amount of money Wick and Beckham raised in the primary is insane: The high cost of keeping Dayton’s Culture of Corruption in power

But what’s more interesting is in a city where most residents have a hard time giving $100 to a candidate, the number of people who gave $250 or more to them. Who they are, where they live are really relevant. Here’s just the big money backers of Wick and Beckham (and ostensibly the Mayor. This is just the list of donors who gave to both, in excess of $250 (which should leave out family friends- etc).

50 people, $73,600

Name	Address	Amount
Charles Carroll	3770 Terrace Creek Way Bellbrook OH 45305	6000
Barbara Mills	2037 Beaver Valley Road Beavercreek OH 45434	5000
Martin Foster	126 Jackson St Dayton OH 45402	5000
Larry Dillin	15N460 Prairie Hill Circle Pine Grove IL 60140	5000
William Pflaum	114 Menlo Park CA 94025	4000
Kimra Van Vickie	620 Treaty Way Greenville OH 45331	2000
Vail Miller	3840 Stonebridge Rd Kettering OH 45419	2000
Beverly Shillito	40 N Main St Ste 1900 Dayton OH 45423	2000
Charles Schroeder	4850 Tait Rd Dayton OH 45429	2000
Thomas Becker	648 Murrell Dr Kettering OH 45429	2000
Clinton Coble	1336 Woodman Dayton OH 45432	2000
Michelle Mathile	249 Park Rd Oakwood OH 45419	2000
Devon Valencia	Ridgeway Rd Oakwood OH 45419	2000
Firefighters Local 136 PAC	145 Warren St Dayton OH 45402	2000
Maureen Lynch	Limestone St. Yellow Springs OH 45387	2000
Frost Brown Todd LLP PAC	301 East Fourth St, Suite 3300 Cincinnati OH 45202	2000
George Oberer	2014 Hickory Knoll Dr Xenia OH 45385	2000
Greg Thompson	4197 Research B Dayton OH 45430	2000
Marie Miller	620 Treaty Way Greenville OH 45331	2000
Malte VonMatthiessen	1234 Livermore St Yellow Springs OH 45387	1500
Mark Brueninghaus	2977 Far Hills Av Dayton OH 45419	1000
Michael Riordan	1421 Woodstock Dr Oakwood OH 45419	1000
Jenell Ross	2398 Briggs Rd Dayton OH 45459	1000
Bear Monita	Woods Ct Kettering OH 45429	1000
Carl Johnson	3796 Seiber Ave Dayton OH 45405	1000
Richard Stover	100 W Monument Ave Dayton OH 45402	1000
Beth Whelley	Gatekeeper Dayton OH 45458	1000
Susan Blasik-Miller	116 Peach Orch, Oakwood OH 45419	1000
Steven Johnson	1010 Runnymede Rd Dayton OH 45419	1000
Tom Archdeacon	105 Jones St Dayton OH 45410	600
Sharen Swartz Neuhardt	4625 US Route 68 N Yellow Springs OH 45387	500
Silvia Anderson	2264 Annandale Pl Dayton OH 45385	500
Joann Ringer	633 East Schantz Ave Dayton OH 45409	500
Steven Budd	1821 Ruskin Rd Dayton OH 45406	500
Christopher Shafer	72 Stanton Dr Springboro OH 45066	500
Carl Struever	327 Warren Ave Apt 3H Baltimore MD 21230	500
Ronald Mellon	6480 Wengerlawn Rd Brookville OH 45309	500
Michael Wagner	6689 Crossbrook Dr Dayton OH 45459	500
Regina Holman	2538 Bridgeport Dr Dayton OH 45406	500
Nan Whaley	217 Wroe Ave Dayton OH 45406	500
David Dickerson	9349 Waterston, Cincinnati OH 45249	500
Kathleen Harper	438 Orchard Dr Oakwood OH 45419	500
Michael McGovern	1715 East 4th St Dayton OH 45403	500
Flanagan Lieberman & Rambo	10 N Ludlow St #200 Dayton OH 45402	500
Matthew Joseph	1338 Ashland Avenue Dayton OH 45420	500
Jason Woodard	505 S Jefferson St Dayton OH 45402	500
Lisa Gossett	18120 Dog Leg Rd Marysville OH 43040	500
Kurt Stanic	3887 Arcadia Circle Willoughby OH 44094	500
brent johnson	6 Stonemill Rd Dayton OH 45409	500
	total	73600

And remember folks, that was from a report a LONG time ago. Who else has bought in?

Since I’d planned on posting this earlier, I didn’t have the pre-primary numbers, but now I do. Neither Mims or Turner-Sloss filed complete reports that I can find online. Mim’s raised $141,399 and spent a bunch, $122,432, but we don’t know anything else.

• Wick brought in another whopping $53,445
• Beckham another $41,445
• Fairchild $36,472
• Davis $11,021

Those are some insane numbers. What’s crazier is where they spent it. Gen Murphy is hauling in $1500 a month from both Beckham and Wick. This is a “company” that doesn’t have a website and uses BATTLEAXE DIGITAL out of Beverly Hills for “Digital Advertising.” Local folks aren’t good enough.

Now, before you go saying this is sour milk, let’s look at Fairchild and Davis using someone named “Blue Pear” out of Iowa City Iowa to do consulting and mailers. On the front page of this fruits site, is my work.

I guess buying what Dayton builds isn’t important to any of these candidates or the integrity of their vendors.

There are also the candidate events which are sparsely attended. I went to the Belmont Eastmont Hearthstone candidates event last week, and asked a question for the Mayoral Candidates. Mim’s started talking about 25 years ago and didn’t even know the name of the last outdoor Dayton pool he filled in (Fairview- he say’s Mallory). Watch.

I’m not impressed by either candidate’s answer. According to the Director of Parks and Rec via a recent email exchange, “At this time, we do not have a need for seasonal lifeguards.” Note, they have 3 guards “working” at all times, 1 in the chair for a 20 minute shift, and 2 back in the break room screwing off.

Marcellus claims the issue is a lack of “I’m referring to our permanent positions — these are the roles essential for keeping our pools operational…. responsible for maintaining pool chemicals or operating the pool’s mechanical systems”

His pool director, Marina Storek, claims they are short $25K a year for pool chemicals to open up the Roosevelt splash park which has been closed since Covid. If the city needs pool chemistry/maintenance and can’t find the people- do what hotels and rich people do, put it out to bid and hire a maintenance firm. But, really, it doesn’t take more than 1 person to manage 3 pools chemistry and maintenance.

btw- Kettering has it’s splash park in the summer- with close to 20 guards working at a time. Dayton pay’s at least $3 more an hour for guards than anywhere else- but hires them through a temp firm, costing them additional money. As I say- Bad Management.

Later, when Commissioner Fairchild was presenting, he was rudely interrupted by Commissioner Joseph who was sitting in the gallery. I’d call it combative to say the least. Maybe I’ll get that video cut soon and post it too (this takes time)

But, this isn’t just about making decisions on who to vote for, it’s about being the best most informed voter there is.

And while I’ve concentrated on Dayton’s race, there are other dirty tricks out there too.

We should expect better from politicians, from the parties, for our leaders. If you early vote, you may not have all the information you need. But, the most important thing is to be like the mailman on election day: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”

Your mission is to vote, and to get all your friends and neighbors to vote, and to be informed.

I’ll be releasing my endorsements before next weekend.