CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — In a closely watched local contest on Election Day, voters in Ross County have chosen Keith Washburn and Jason Miller as the judges for Chillicothe Municipal Court, securing the two open seats amid a field of four candidates.
The race drew significant interest as residents selected from Democrat Angela Hirsch facing Independent Washburn, and Democrat and current Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney against Miller, who is a Republican to fill the judicial positions. According to unofficial results released by the Ross County Board of Elections late Tuesday evening, Washburn edged out Hirsch with 8,188 votes to her 5,974, while Miller topped Feeney 8,356 to 6,018.
The victories come as a milestone for both winners, who will now serve six-year terms overseeing a range of cases from traffic violations to misdemeanors in the bustling municipal court. Turnout details were not immediately available.
Washburn had been appointed Judge in January by the Republican Party to fill the unexpired term of retiring Judge Toni Eddy. The Governor of Ohio chose him over Miller, who also applied for the vacancy. When election time rolled around, Washburn opted to run as an independent, but was “endorsed” by the local Republican Women’s Group during this election.
Feeney, who took a stinging defeat lost an election for the first time in his career; he was a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter and Joe Biden voter, having spoken previously on the national stage during the Democratic National Convention. The once-popular rising Democratic star and Mayor of Chillicothe has held two previous offices before vying for Judge. Having never lost an election and with deep money from out-of-county donors, and as the current Secretary of the Ohio Democratic Party, Feeney’s ego took a sting for the first time in his political career.
Miller, who will take the oath at the first of the year, will replace outgoing-retiring Judge John B. Street. Street is forced into retirement due to Ohio’s law that mandates judges cannot serve beyond their seventies. Street is currently the city’s longest serving employee, having started as an assistant law director in the early eighties. Miller, a local attorney and seasoned assistant law director fought what some thought was an uphill battle against the now-defeated Feeney, but voters spoke loudly Tuesday, placing their future into the hands of one solid conservative and an endorsed-independent who parades as a Republican.