On the ballot in Tuesday’s May 8 Primary is a special election for the Dayton City Commission seat formerly held by Joey Williams. Williams announced in February he would step down because of work obligations.
Williams was reelected to the Dayton City Commission less than four months before his resignation. Now, two well-known faith-based community leaders -- with similar first names -- are competing to join the existing commissioners on the board.
Darryl Fairchild is currently chaplaincy manager at Dayton Children's Hospital. He’s been a Dayton-area minister for more than 25 years and has sought public office before.
The pastor also serves on the Greater Dayton Premier Management Board and is a past member of the Human Relations Council, and the national board of the American Friends Service Committee.
Fairchild has long advocated for increased revitalization efforts in the city’s neighborhoods. If elected, he says he’ll continue to call for fiscal responsibility on the commission, a mantle he says former commissioner Williams was known for.
Also running in the special election is Daryl Ward, a senior pastor at Omega Baptist Church. Ward’s entry into the city commissioner’s race follows his withdrawal from the more crowded Montgomery County Commissioner's race.
Ward has served on numerous governing boards for area organizations; currently, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and the Omega Community Development Corporation.
Ward says he’s concerned about the state of the city’s education system. He says he believes in the power of after-school activities to help struggling families and says he’d like to see the city commission partner with more churches and community organizations to help make such programs more available.
Voters will put one of these candidates directly into the city commission when they vote in the May 8 primary.
For more information about the elections, visit the Secretary of State's website.
*This story has been updated.
