Republican Renee Vaughan holds a 514-vote lead over Democrat Ryan Grissinger for the open Delaware County commissioner seat, according to unofficial results from the Nov. 3 election.
Vaughan received 57,350 votes, or 50.23%, of the 114,186 votes cast in the race, according to the Delaware Gazette. Grissinger received 56,836 votes, or 49.77%. All precincts had reported unofficial results as of Nov. 4.
Unofficial results — Delaware County Commissioner
Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
Renee Vaughan | Republican | 57,350 | 50.23% |
Ryan Grissinger | Democratic | 56,836 | 49.77% |
Total |
| 114,186 | 100.00% |
Source: Delaware Gazette, citing Delaware County Board of Elections unofficial results. Published Nov. 4, 2026. All precincts reporting; provisional ballots not yet counted.
The result matters for Dublin residents whose homes fall in Delaware County. The three-person Board of Commissioners sets county budgets, oversees land-use decisions and shapes infrastructure serving the city's northern neighborhoods.
Vaughan's margin of 0.45 percentage points falls within Ohio's 0.5% threshold for an automatic recount in county races, according to Verified Voting's summary of Ohio Revised Code § 3515.011. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the margin appears to require an automatic recount once results are certified. Provisional ballots also remain uncounted.
Grissinger told the Dispatch on Nov. 3 that there could still be provisional ballots counted and that he was "still figuring out next steps."
The seat is open because Commissioner Barb Lewis, first elected in 2014, did not seek reelection and will retire when her term ends. Vaughan beat Sunbury Mayor Joe St. John in the May Republican primary with about 57% of the vote.
Vaughan, a Genoa Township resident, has served as a trustee on the Genoa Township Board of Trustees since 2020 and has been re-elected twice, the Gazette reported. Before entering elected office, she spent 15 years as a special education teacher in Indiana and Pennsylvania, according to her campaign website.
She told the Gazette she was motivated to run because of growth-related pressures in Delaware County, citing high taxes, traffic congestion and overcrowded schools.
Grissinger, who also lives in Genoa Township, campaigned on a proposal for a public 10-Year Growth Impact Forecast, updated annually, to guide development decisions, according to his campaign website.
The board must complete its official canvass by Nov. 24. If the margin holds, Vaughan's term would begin Jan. 1, 2027.
