Friday afternoon a second Republican candidate filed for the County Commissioner seat in District 3 which is currently held by Kevin Overmyer. On January 26th Overmyer announced on WTCA that he would not seek another term as county commissioner. In August Overmyer will have served the citizens of Marshall County for 25 years.
Days after the filing period opened for candidates, County Council president, Jesse Bohannon filed for the District 3 Commissioner seat on the Republican ticket.
On Friday, Francis Ellert threw his hat into the ring.
Francis and his wife Susan moved to Marshall County in 1993 because of the quality of life that Marshall County offered. They have four children, Betse (25), Pierce (23), Fritz (21), and Cabot (19).
Francis is the Plant Manager for the Coca-Cola distribution facility in Plymouth. Determined to help make our community a great place to live in he has been active in the county including participating in Dancing with the Stars in 2012, a benefit for the Neighborhood Center. He has also served on many local boards and organizations including United Way, Chamber of Commerce, Marshall-Starke Development Center, Ancilla College, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, and past president of the Plymouth Rotary Club.
Mr. Ellert is no stranger to politics. In 2010 Francis ran for State Representative in District 17 and lost to Democratic incumbent Nancy Dembowski by only 270 votes in the general election.
Two years later Ellert ran for the State Representative seat again but was defeated by Timothy Harman in the Republican primary.
As a teenager, Francis Ellert spent his summers in Marshall County, where he met his wife, Susan. He graduated from Chanel High School in 1986 and John Carroll University in 1990.
Originally from Cleveland, Ellert went to work in the admissions office at Culver Academy before joining Coca-Cola in July of 2001.
The May 7th Republican Primary will have Ellert and Bohannon battling it out to be our next County Commissioner in District 3. While the commissioners must live in the district they represent, all republican voters will have the opportunity to vote in the primary for the candidate of their choice.
