Voters across the Dayton region cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary elections. In the competitive race for Dayton City Commission, five candidates were vying to compete for two open seats in the fall. Now, four candidates move on to a place on the November ballot.
Montgomery County Board of Election unofficial results show voters approved incumbent City Commissioners Matt Joseph, with more than 28 percent of the vote, and Chris Shaw, with more than 25 percent of the vote, to compete in November.
See more Montgomery County results here.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base logistics specialist and former Dayton Dept. of Planning and Community Development employee Shenise Turner-Sloss also won a place on the ballot, taking nearly 22 percent of the vote.
It was a close race for much of the evening between candidates Valerie Duncan and David Esrati, with Esrati ultimately taking fourth place to compete in November.
David Esrati is a small business owner, veteran, and well-known Dayton community activist who graduated from Wright State University.
Valerie Duncan has a background in public service, including time spent as a Southeast Priority Board member. She's also worked with several west Dayton development organizations.
This year’s commission race is likely to come under increased scrutiny.
Last week, federal law enforcement authorities unsealed indictments revealing a wide-ranging investigation into alleged fraud and corruption connected to the handling of lucrative city contracts.
Department of Justice officials indicted four people, including former City Commissioner Joey Williams and RoShawn Winburn, currently on leave from the Minority Business Assistance Center. The charges include bribery, wire fraud, and public corruption.
Former state representative Clayton Luckie, and entrepreneur Brian Higgins were also separately indicted.
Federal officials say more arrests are expected.
