Regula wins Auglaize commissioner race on fifth try

AUGLAIZE COUNTY - The fifth time was the charm for Don Regula, who won a seat on the county's board of commissioners Tuesday after four previous tries.

Regula, 62, beat Democratic challenger Brent Henschen by just 861 votes. It was a close race up until the count of the absentee ballots at the end of the night when Regula was finally able to savor the win. Even then, he was hesitant to celebrate.

"I wanted this job so bad. It means everything to me," Regula said. "There's only one thing that's been better: grandkids."

Regula has served for 23 years as a Clay Township trustee. This year's campaign marks the fifth time he's ran for commissioner. Regula also ran in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2006. He rode a wave of Republican victories in the county that, despite national trends toward the Democrats, voted for Republican John McCain almost 3-to-1.

"This is a Republican community. I voted for Mr. Regula and I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin and they're all going to win in Wapak," said Jim Welke after voting late Tuesday at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds.

This year's campaign was the first for Henschen, a long-time Auglaize County sheriff's deputy and New Knoxville school board member.

In the race for county coroner, Republican Thomas Freytag, a 24-year veteran of the job, won out over Democrat Deron Horman. For voters like Sherry Komen, who cast her vote just after lunchtime Tuesday in Cridersville, the choice came down to familiarity.

"Honestly, I don't know that there's much that matters about who the coroner is except that he knows what he's doing, so I voted for the man who has been doing the job already," Komen said.

Schools did well Tuesday night. Waynesfield Goshen voters passed their proposed levy 53 percent to 46 percent. And in Minster, a 0.2 mill levy passed 60 percent to 40 percent.