Barnesville, Bethesda Council Races Certified
ST. CLAIRSVILLE – The Belmont County Board of Elections was expected to “certify” the results of last Tuesday’s General Election Wednesday.
Wednesday came and went, Thursday too. Board president Michael Shaheen told the Wheeling television station the board was carefully hand counting the over 1,600 write-in votes not once, but twice before signing off on the totals and sending the information on to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.
Friday morning the following appeared on the website, “The Belmont County Board of Elections will reconvene on Friday, November 14th, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. for the Official Certification of the November 4, 2025, General Election. The meeting will take place at the Board office located at 52180 National Road, St. Clairsville.”
The overabundance of caution was largely do to the unusual write-in votes for several candidates. In the end, two write-in candidates in Barnesville – Cole Carpenter and Lindsay Dowdle – and one in Shadyside – Robert Doris were certified as victors.
Two write-in candidates in in Bethesda did not receive enough votes to gain a seat.
Barnesville’s certified election results are reported with unofficial vote tallies in brackets.
Mark Lucas – 455 (451)
Brad English – 454 (452)
Cole Carpenter – 275 (275)
Lindsay Dowdle – 272 (271)
Leslie Tickhill – 233 (232)
Tony C. Johnson – 220 (219)
Tim McKelvey – 197 (194)
Bethesda Village Council certified election results are:
Ruth A. Safffell – 139
Jay Van Horn – 135
Shirley J. Lucas – 130
Carol Ann Merritt – 112
Cynthia L. Foose – 90
Cal Kildow – 82 (Write-in)
Charles Little – 45 (Write-in)
Full, final, certified results are posted on the Belmont County Board of Elections website.
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