“You come to a time when you know it’s time to retire,” he said, pointing to his 70th birthday this summer.
Lohnes was first elected to a commission seat in 2010 and served as the commission’s president from 2011 to 2019. His term expires at the end of this year.
Prior to his role as commissioner, Lohnes served as former commander of the 178th Wing of the Ohio National Guard.
He is a graduate of Shawnee High School, as well as Capital University in Columbus.
Ohio’s deadline to file declarations of candidacy was Feb. 2. Here are candidates who filed petitions to run for a county office in both Clark and Champaign counties, according to the Board of Elections Office in both counties:
Clark County
County Commissioner
- William Lindsey, Republican
- Mike Lowery, Republican
- Sasha Rittenhouse, Republican
- Rich Holt, Republican
Auditor
- Incumbent John Federer, Republican
Judge of Court of Common Pleas - General Division
- Douglas M. Rastatter, Republican
Judge of Court of Common Pleas - General Division
- Brian C. Driscoll, Republican
- Daniel C. Harkins, Republican
- Robert N. Lancaster Jr., Republican
- Regina Richards, Democrat
- Melissa M. Tuttle, Republican
Champaign County
Auditor
- Incumbent Karen T. Bailey, Republican
County Commissioner (term beginning Jan. 1, 2023)
- Marcia Bailey, Republican
- Incumbent Bob E. Corbett, Republican
- David E. Faulkner, Republican
- Nino Vitale, Republican
Several issues are also expected for ballots in Clark and Champaign counties.
Clark
- Clark County: 0.3 mill, five-year renewal levy for maintenance and operation of a free public museum of art, science or history (the Heritage Center in Springfield).
- Springfield City School District: 5.06 mills, continuing additional levy for general permanent improvements.
- Clark-Shawnee Local School District: 12.1 mill, continuing substitute levy for necessary requirements of the school district.
- Bethel Twp.: 1.75 mill, five-year additional levy for providing and maintaining motor vehicles, communications, other equipment, buildings and sites in operation of the police department.
- Mad River Twp.: 0.8 mill, five-year renewal levy for providing and maintaining motor vehicles, communications, other equipment, buildings and sites in operation of the police department.
Champaign
- Village of Mechanicsburg: a 4 mill, five-year renewal levy for providing and maintaining fire apparatus, appliances, buildings or sites.
- Johnson St. Paris Fire District: a 4.9 mill, five-year additional levy for providing and maintaining emergency apparatus, appliances, buildings or sites therefore.
- West Liberty-Salem Local School District: a five-year, 1% income tax renewal on individuals and estates for current expenses.
- Geena’s Enterprises LLC dba Geena’s Junction, Johnson Township: seeking a D-5 and a D-6 (Sunday Sales) liquor permit for on or off premise sale of wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor.
Board of Elections offices will meet on Feb. 10 to certify the validity of candidates and issued filed in their counties. The primary election in Ohio is slated for May 3.
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