Stone is GOP winner in the race for sheriff

By D.A. Wilkinson

The police chief won the Republican primary for sheriff by 16 votes.

LISBON — Raymond Stone knows he’s going south in the weeks and months to come.

Stone, the chief of the Perry Township Police Department, on Thursday won the Republican primary for Columbiana County sheriff.

Stone won by 16 votes, according to the official count at the elections board.

He ran against Jerry Herbert of East Palestine and Daniel “Skip” MacLean of Wellsville.

Herbert and MacLean have retired from the county sheriff’s office, and they both work in security at the county’s municipal court.

Stone, 51, has been the chief of the low-crime township for 14 years. He said he’s known in the northern portion of the county, which includes many of the county’s Republicans.

After the count, Stone said he will have to spend more time campaigning in the southern part of the county, which is a Democratic stronghold.

The final counts were 3,154 for Stone, 3,138 votes for Herbert, and 2,154 for MacLean.

Since the margin of victory Tuesday was less than half of one percent, the elections board will make a recount.

In a statement, Stone thanked Herbert and MacLean.

“When we began this campaign, all three of us pledged our support to the victor, and I look forward to any help that Jerry and Skip can be to me in November,” he said.

Stone said that he believed that being the chief in one of the county’s largest townships gave him the experience needed to be sheriff.

He added, “I look forward to campaigning in every city, township and village to covey a message of cooperation and dedication to the principles that the citizens expect of their chief law enforcement officer.”

Stone said he hoped that people he will meet while campaigning will “feel free to offer their input on how we can all work together to make this a better county.”

Stone will face Leetonia Police Chief John Soldano, a Democrat. Sheriff David Smith is not seeking re-election.

The county sheriff’s position has been in Republican hands for 60 years.

wilkinson@vindy.com