Mason and Deerfield Township voters will help decide Ohio's 5th Senate District race on Nov. 3, with Republican Phil Plummer and Democrat Jeffrey Harris competing for the seat.
The district covers portions of Butler County, including the Mason area, along with all of Miami and Preble counties and parts of Darke and Montgomery counties, according to the Ohio Senate. The Dayton Daily News first reported on the candidates' platforms Oct. 17.
Both candidates outlined their priorities in written responses to the newspaper, focusing on property taxes, schools and jobs.
Plummer, a state representative and former Montgomery County sheriff from Butler Township, said lowering property taxes, improving schools and maintaining safe communities are his top goals. He said Ohio should properly fund public schools while easing the burden on local taxpayers and connected school investment to building a skilled workforce.
"If we properly invest in our children, we will create a well-educated workforce," Plummer said in his written response.
He also said attracting employers that offer good-paying jobs is a priority and called for holding criminal offenders accountable as part of his public safety platform.
Harris took a different approach.
He said he supports property tax relief for homeowners but would not back proposals that shift the burden to other taxpayers or create school-funding shortfalls. Any tax relief plan should spell out who benefits, how much they save and how the state replaces lost revenue, Harris said.
His approach to the job would center on listening to residents and reporting back with measurable results, he said. He identified small businesses, manufacturing, agriculture, workforce development and infrastructure as economic priorities, along with addressing barriers in housing, transportation and child care.
On election integrity, Harris said he supports security investments and transparent procedures but opposes using unfounded allegations to undermine confidence in elections.
Early in-person voting is already underway at county boards of elections and continues through Sunday, Nov. 1, according to the Dayton Daily News. Early turnout in Butler, Clermont and Warren counties is running two to three times higher than the same period in 2022, WLWT reported.
Voters who want to cast a mail-in ballot must submit an absentee application to their county board of elections by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. Mail-in ballots must arrive at the board by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. There is no longer a grace period for late-arriving ballots.
On Election Day, polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Voters must bring a valid photo ID to vote in person. Butler County voters can reach their board of elections at 513-887-3700 or [email protected]. Warren County voters can call 513-695-1358 or email [email protected].
