The Logan County Board of Elections voted Wednesday to reject a protest that tried to remove Ben Stahler from the ballot as an independent candidate for President of Bellefontaine City Council.
The protest was filed by Bellefontaine resident Bernard Iven, who claimed that Stahler should not be allowed to run as an independent because of his past involvement with political parties—mainly the Republican Party.
Iven and his attorney said Stahler had voted in Republican primaries, attended party events, and previously ran for office as both a Republican and a Democrat.
Stahler represented himself during the hearing, and when asked about his political views, he said he no longer agrees with the ideas of either Democrats or Republicans.
He said his decision to become independent wasn’t sudden but happened gradually over time.
Stahler mentioned that remarks made at the 2025 Republican Lincoln Day Dinner were the final push.
He said he discussed the decision with his wife and family and spent a lot of time in prayer before making the official change.
Ohio law says independent candidates must not be connected to any political party and must be acting in good faith when filing as independent.
The board said only actions taken after Stahler filed as an independent on April 1 could be considered at today’s hearing, and most of the materials Iven submitted were from before that date and were ruled irrelevant.
After nearly two hours of discussion, the board said there was no evidence that Stahler was connected to any political party after April 1.
Chairman of the board, Steve Fansler:
Fansler added that under Ohio law, a person’s past voting history or reasons for leaving a party do not disqualify them from running as an independent.
In Ohio, party affiliation is a personal choice and can change over time.
Ben Stahler will remain on the November ballot as an independent candidate for Bellefontaine City Council President.
Stahler commented after the hearing:
