07-05-2025
Tipton, Wallach pull ahead in early Kent primary voting
Candidates for Kent City Council at-large seats are, top row from left, Ben Tipton, Derek Salustro and Tracy Wallach; and, bottom row from left, Michael Thrasher and Sarah Wesley.
Three Democrats rose to the top in the primary May 6, moving on to a November contest for Kent City Council at-large seats that is even more crowded.
In early voting, former Kent City Councilwoman Tracy Wallach and Benjamin Tipton were ahead, with 318 votes for Wallach and 390 for Tipton. The three other Democratic contenders, Derek Salustro, Michael Thrasher and Sarah Elizabeth Wesley, were in close competition for the third seat, with 229 votes for Salustro, 216 for Wesley, and 127 for Thrasher.
The three top Democrats are set to face Republican Cecil Anderson and two independents, John Kuhar and Eric Dreger, in the fall. Kuhar served Ward 4 for 17 years until 2023, when he lost the seat to Democrat Chris Hook. At that time, Kuhar ran as a Republican. Dreger, a retired police officer, resigned from the sheriff's department in 2023, and also was a sergeant at the Kent Police Department before joining the sheriff's department.
Kent's three at-large council members − Democrats Michael DeLeone, Gwen Rosenberg and Roger Sidoti − are not seeking reelection.
Councilman Jack Amrhein, a Democrat who serves Ward 2, is running unopposed for Kent mayor. The current mayor, Jerry Fiala, an independent, did not file petitions seeking reelection.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Tipton, Wallach pull ahead in early Kent primary voting
