Dear Editor:
As official swearing in ceremonies take place and as our nation prepares for the presidential inauguration, I wanted to thank the voters of Darke County. 2024 was one of the busiest- and most rewarding!- campaign seasons for the Darke County Republican Party. We kicked off the year with our annual Lincoln Day Dinner, hosting Senator JD Vance n March, and didn’t look back. Our county fair and downtown Greenville headquarters saw constant foot traffic, and culminated to a record-breaking attendance at our Republican Hog Roast & Trump Parade in late October, which connected Preble and Miami Counties. Our team of volunteers gave out 3,000 yard signs, went into high schools to help educate first time voters, and helped fund a robust online, print & radio marketing campaign. A historic amount of donations allowed our party to financially support conservative candidates and local voter outreach efforts, which paid off in November.
Darke County’s numbers were nothing less than fantastic. Out of 35,030 registered voters, 27, 299 ballots were cast, equating to a 77.93% turn-out. This puts us the 11th highest in the state! Let it be known, the 7731 registered voters who opted out of this democratic privilege keep me up at night. We WILL beat Mercer County next cycle….
Voters across the nation sent a resounding mandate to our elected officials centered on a few key issues: immigration, inflation, and national security. Darke County voters echoed this, with over 82% of ballots cast for former President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. While pundits can continue to argue how and why this happened, 8/10 Darke County voters can tell you that our country simply veered way too off track in the last four years. President Trump’s platform has been one of consistency and one of wide appeal: re-establish strong American borders; re-implement a domestic energy policy, which is at the core of all cost increases; and restore the national pride that has been lost in the liberal woke madness.
Ohio, along with 76% of Darke County voters, also sent businessman Bernie Moreno to the United States Senate. Ousting an incumbent is always difficult, especially a long-term, heavily financed one. Senator Moreno did so by putting in the work and connecting with the rural periphery of the state. He visited Darke County no less than a dozen times in his campaign, eating more Darke County fair food in one afternoon than all of my children combined–and I have a lot of kids. I hope most of you were able to meet him, and I expect that he will be no stranger to Western Ohio as embarks on his elected service.
Republicans also prevailed in every other race on the ballot, winning all three Ohio Supreme Court races (establishing a 6-1 majority) and defeating Issue 1, a liberal redistricting initiative. Locally, Darke County overwhelming supported Congressman Warren Davidson and sent State Rep Angie King, State Senator Susan Manchester, and newly-elected State Rep Johnathan Newman to Columbus. At the county level, Commissioner Aaron Flatter will join Commissioner Matt Aultman and Marshall Combs, and Sheriff Mark Whittaker, Prosecutor Jim Bennett, Auditor Carol Ginn, Clerk of Courts Cindy Pike, and Recorder Hillary Holzapfel will continue their dedicated public service.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your engagement, support, and unwavering patriotism! Darke County is a wonderful place to live, and I appreciate all of our businesses, individuals, and elected leaders who make it so special.
Most Sincerely,
Katie DeLand
Darke County Republican Party
Executive Chairman