Sharon Ray wins Ohio House District 69 seat

Former Medina County Commissioner Sharon Ray secured election to the Ohio House of Representatives District 69 seat Tuesday, defeating Democrat and fellow Wadsworth resident Donna Beheydt. According to unofficial results, Ray prevailed over Beheydt with 44,585 votes or 65 percent to 24,337 votes or 35 percent. Ray currently serves as Wadsworth Municipal Court bailiff and was a county commissioner from 2003-10. That followed terms on Wadsworth City Council and preceded a six-year tenure on the Medina County Board of Elections. She's worked with the Wadsworth Municipal Court since 2011 and also from 1997 to 2002. "I'd like to thank voters from the bottom of my heart," Ray said as the elections board finished for the night. "We're still getting the final results in but it's looking really good. It's very humbling to put yourself out there in an election and have people choose you and give you their support. I feel that I was the most qualified candidate in terms of my executive, judicial and legislative experience. I look forward to putting that to use." District 69 stretches north into Hinckley Township before veering to the southwest, forming a stairs-like border through Medina, Chippewa Lake and Lodi. It then cuts a straight eastward line through Seville and Wadsworth, ending between the cities of Wadsworth and Norton. The representative-elect said her first priorities this January in Columbus will be working to expand and promote state adoption programs as well as school technical and vocational education. "We'll also have the budget coming down on us with a vengeance, which won't be easy after this year," Ray said. "I'm ready for the work and I wish my opponent well. She ran a good race." Beheydt served as an intelligence research analyst for the U.S. Air Force from 1986 to 1990 before raising three children in Wadsworth. In 2009, she and her husband bought a Minuteman Press franchise to start a printing business, which was recently sold. This was her first time running for public office. "I'd like to congratulate my opponent on her win in an extremely gerrymandered district," Beheydt said. "Her entire platform was, 'I've been a Wadsworth resident for 50 years. She was a do-nothing candidate and I'm confident she'll be a do-nothing representative. Hopefully, when district lines are redrawn it will help make the Ohio House more representative of the people of this state." "When they redrew the districts the last time, they knew what they were doing in taking out bluer areas in Brunswick and adding redder areas," she added. "What I know right now is I'm going to run again once we see what the new lines look like. Medina County Republicans aren't going to be happy that I'm going to have this free time on my hands. I'm not going anywhere." District lines are redrawn once every decade upon completion of the U.S. Census. Federal law states that districts must have nearly equal populations and not be drawn based on race or ethnicity divides, a point frequently cited by anti-gerrymandering advocates across the U.S. Republicans have held the District 69 seat since its creation in 1961. Outgoing District 69 Rep. Steve Hambley, R-Brunswick, chose not to run for reelection and secured a return to the Medina County Board of Commissioners in his race. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.