Voters in townships across Johnson County chose their leaders for the next four years, with a number of seats on township boards up for grabs Tuesday.
A mix of incumbents and newcomers won seats during Tuesday’s election in Pleasant, White River, Clark and Franklin-Union-Needham townships.
Pleasant Township board had three seats available, and Republican candidates John Asher, Thomas L. Whitaker and Ron McCoy won out. Asher took 25.5% of the votes, Whitaker 24.6% and McCoy 22.5%. They beat out Democrats Jessica Burnside, with 14.8% of the votes and Margaret Sheets with 12.7%.
McCoy and Whitaker are incumbents, while Asher is a former board member seeking a seat again.
In Clark Township, Republican candidates also took the three available seats. Incumbent Chuck Harlow took 31%, Bonnie P. Moynahan won 29.1% and incumbent Kellie Seybold won 28.7%. Democrat Michael F. Chiappetta took 11.2% of votes.
The Franklin Union Needham Township Board had three contested races this year. In Franklin Township, Republican Jeannie Barnett, who held the seat after being chosen to represent the township on the merged board, won 70.4% of the vote while challenger, Democrat Michelle Waugh Dahl, took 29.6%
Republican Tara Payne, who held the Needham Township seat, was victorious Tuesday, getting 71.6% of votes to 28.4% for Democrat Rhonda L. Mathes.
Union Township will be represented again by Dawn Barr, the Republican candidate, who defeated Democrat Ronald Ping 71.8% to 28.2%.
Six candidates were vying for three open seats on the White River Township Board. The incumbents, Republicans Peggy Young, Dick Huber and David Pollard won again, receiving 23.5%, 22.6% and 21.6% of the vote. They defeated three Democratic challengers, with Elisa Horne taking 11.1% of the vote, Trisha Phillips 11.2% and Robert Pribush 10%
In uncontested races, Republicans Rodney Howard, John Johnson and Justin Lollar won seats on Blue River Township Board; Republicans Dennis Brownfield, William Meredith and Mary Wilkerson won the Hensley Township Board seats, and Anthony Giger, Jill Jackson and Kevin Jackson won the Nineveh Township Board seats.
