Claypool, McArthur Out of Race
Geauga County voters selected newcomer Carolyn Brakey and incumbent Ralph Spidalieri in the March 19 Republican primary election for Geauga County commissioner, according to the final unofficial results of the Geauga County Board of Elections.
Geauga County voters selected newcomer Carolyn Brakey and incumbent Ralph Spidalieri in the March 19 Republican primary election for Geauga County commissioner, according to the final unofficial results of the Geauga County Board of Elections.
Brakey, who ran for Commissioner Tim Lennon’s seat after he chose not to run again, defeated her opponent, former Commissioner Walter “Skip” Claypool, with 7,684 votes to his 5,893 — a 14% margin.
Reached via text Tuesday night, Brakey said she is honored to receive the support of Geauga Republicans and will carry the party’s message into the general election.
“When I announced I was running for commissioner, I promised to work with everyone inside and outside the Republican Party who wants to move Geauga forward in a more virtuous direction,” Brakey said. “That promise still stands and extends to my opponent’s supporters just as much as my own.”
A business attorney, Brakey owns and operates several businesses in the county related to energy and currently serves as president of the Geauga County Board of Health.
Claypool offered his congratulations to Brakey when reached for comment.
First elected commissioner in November 2014, Claypool previously served several months in 2013 after being appointed to fill a seat left vacant by Commissioner Bill Young. He was voted out of office in 2018 after losing the primary election to Commissioner Jim Dvorak.
In the companion race, McArthur — who serves as Geauga County Republican Party chair — came in second to Spidalieri with 5,294 votes to his 8,160, a 22% margin. Spidalieri first took office in 2012.
Although Spidalieri did not return a request for comment by press time, he had a message for the public on his social media page after the election.
“Geauga County, I could not be more humbled with tonight’s results in the selection for commissioner. I will continue to have your best interest and it is amazing to have an entire county come together and speak at the polls, Geauga County,” Spidalieri wrote. “Thank you. I am ever so grateful. I cannot express all of my team that volunteered their time with signs and campaigning. And to my daughter, Nicole, so blessed to have you. Love you so much.”
Turnout in the primary election was under 28%, a steep drop from the 60% turnout in the November 2023 election, and a fact lamented by McArthur, who worked at the elections for two years and was appointed to the board in February 2023.
She stepped down from the election board post, now held by Rich Piraino, when she chose to run against Spidalieri.
“I hope people decide to show up to vote in November,” she said. “It’s disappointing when so few people participate in the voting process.”
Two Democratic party write-in candidates, Garrett Westhoven and Bonnie Cavanaugh, received 921 and 828 votes, respectively.
