It appears there will be no primary election in Washington County this year.

 

The county board of elections shared its unofficial roster of candidates with the press late yesterday, and there are no contested races among Republicans or Democrats in Marietta or Belpre. The deadline to turn in petitions was 4:00 p.m. yesterday.

 

The board will meet next Tuesday morning to certify the candidates, after the staff verifies all the petitions.

 

Longtime Marietta city treasurer Val Holley, a Republican, is retiring. The two candidates who filed to replace her are Republican Cathy Harper and Democrat Willa O'Neill.

 

City Council president Walt Brothers has chosen not to run for a second term. The party candidates for that seat are Republican Josh Schlicher and Democrat Kevin Paskawych. Schlicher ran against Brothers two years ago.

 

Four candidates will run for three at-large council seats in November. They are Republicans Jon Grimm and Michael Boersma plus Democrats Kathleen Downer and Harley Noland, the only at-large incumbent.

 

Among ward councilmen, incumbent Democrats Tom Vukovic, Roger Kalter and Steve Thomas have no GOP opponents. In Ward 2, Republican James Wilson Jr will challenge incumbent Democrat Mike McCauley in November.

 

Independent candidates can still file to run for any of these seats in November.