MENTONE – Republicans in Mentone Saturday chose Kent Ganshorn, Jill Gross and Shelly Krueger as their candidates for the town council election in November.
There were four candidates, and voters could choose up to three. Ganshorn received 24 votes, Gross 23 and Krueger 20. Fourth candidate David Hudson received 18.
Ganshorn and Gross are current town board members, with Tim Croy serving as the third and president of the board.
Opening the Republican nominating convention, Mentone Republican Chairman Ed Rock said each candidate had up to three minutes to speak. After all four candidates were finished, each registered Republican could vote, with the top three vote getters to be on the Republican ballot in the fall election.
Each candidate also was allowed to identify one individual to observe the vote-counting process.
Rock said everyone in the room with a ballot was registered to vote, and asked if anyone in the room wanted to challenge anyone else’s ability to vote. No challenges were made.
The candidates then spoke in alphabetical order.
Ganshorn said he’s been a Mentone resident for 14 years, but his wife and her family were “lifers.” He said he’s served on the town board since the beginning of the year, being selected to fill Jack Simpson’s position after Simpson resigned.
He said he liked to see the town progress, and the town has good employees that need to be supported.
A resident for 33 years, Gross said she’s raised two children in Mentone. She has a lot of interest in seeing Mentone grow, and she’s proud of Mentone. Gross said she has no agenda, she just wants to see the town keep going as it is.
Though he’s been a “resident” of Mentone for 45 years, Hudson said he served 25 years in the Army, and lived for a time in Akron.
Hudson said he loves the town and wants to see it keep growing. The town needs an economic plan, he said, and someone to do that work.
Having lived in five countries and eight states, Hudson said he brings a variety of ideas of what works and what doesn’t.
Krueger has lived in the Mentone community for about 26 years, she said, and raised her children here. The town is a great place to raise children.
Krueger said, with the town board’s blessing, she started the Farmer’s Market in town, and it’s been going strong. She said she wants to keep serving the community.
