The Logan County Republican Central Committee Thursday selected Dan Bratka to appear on the November ballot as a candidate for the Logan County Family Court judgeship. The seat was vacated by Douglas Chamberlain, who stepped down from the position last month.
The 58-year-old Bratka (pictured left, following his selection) will be running against Bridget Hawkins, who was selected by the Logan County Democratic party to run earlier this month. The winner of the contest will take the seat Jan. 1, 2013. Gov. John Kasich has the authority to name the person who will fill out the remainder of Chamberlain's term, which will end Dec. 31.
The Republican Central Committee originally had three names from which to choose, Bratka, Linda MacGillivray, and Steven Fansler, but Fansler - who chaired the committee Thursday - withdrew his name at the start of the proceedings, citing personal and business reasons for his withdrawal.
Bratka garnered 25 of the 29 votes cast in a secret ballot.
Both Bratka and MacGillivray were permitted three minutes to address the Committee prior to the ballot, and the Committee retired into a 15-minute executive session to discuss the candidates.
Bratka is currently the family court Magistrate and said that his experience and knowledge of the court should serve both the court and Logan County well.
Dan Bratka talks about being named by the GOP to run in November
Bratka served in the military from 1972 to 1977 and was a deputy with the Logan County Sheriff's Office until 1983, when he left to attend Ohio Northern University's College of Law, where he graduated in 1986. He passed the bar in 1987 and has worked in the Logan County Prosecutor's Office and as the Bellefontaine Municipal Court Prosecutor. He has also served as the executive director of the Tri-County Regional Jail and has been a magistrate in the family court since 2005. He also served as a Bellefontaine City Councilman and was the Mayor of West Liberty from 1996 to 2004.
