Fiers considering write-in campaign

Sheriff Jeff Fiers is considering a write-in campaign for the general election in November. Fiers lost to Sgt. Kim Cole in Tuesday’s Republican primary election.

Fiers posted on his Facebook page that he is considering running against Cole again in November after receiving 46 percent of the Republican vote Tuesday. He also said he will not run if Cole offers him a position back in the sheriff’s office.

“I knew going into this campaign, the primary election would be difficult,” Fiers wrote. “There is usually low voter turn out. I made the choice to run head to head with my opponent, knowing the results may not come my way.

“When I started reading though the posts tonight, it made me realize just how great of a community we live in. I love this county and all the people who live here. When I seen all of the supporters out there that would stand behind me and assist me as a write-in candidate, it brought a tear to my eye. I even had township supervisors tell me they would support these efforts also. All I would have to do is fill out the declaration of intent form to open this door.

“I would first like to speak with Kim Cole before I do this though. It was brought to my attention that he may consider putting me back on road patrol. If he would do this, I would bow out as a write-in candidate, to secure my job with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

“I will try to speak with him over the weekend to see if this true or not. If it is, I will see if he would be willing to put out a public response acknowledging keeping me on as a road deputy. I will let you know.”

Cole stated Thursday that Fiers had yet to contact him conceding the loss.

Fiers was elected sheriff in 2008 when he ran as a Democrat against Republican incumbent Laude Hartrum. Many have speculated that that victory was the result of straight party voters who voted for presidential Democrat candidate Barrack Obama. Obama won Mason County, which typically votes Republican.

In March of this year Fiers switched to the Republican party, stating that party reflected more of his values.

Former long-time Mason County Clerk Ivan Anthony said during election night that a write-in candidate has never won in a county-wide election in Mason County. Anthony said the only election that was successful was for a township official in Logan Township.

It is up to County Clerk Jim Riffle to decide how stringent he will be on the spelling of the candidate’s name.

A large number of Mason County voters, somewhere around 6,000 in the 2008 general election, tend to vote straight party ticket during a presidential election in Mason County, we have been told. Straight party tickets cannot ad a write-in candidate on their ballot.