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2 candidates are tracked for Richland County Commissioner on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Mark Kaufmann and Cliff Mears. Candidate information follows official Richland County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Term 1/1/2027-12/31/2030. Incumbent Republican Cliff Mears won a contested GOP primary over David Morgenstern 62.59%-37.41% (8,727 to 5,216 votes), per the Richland Source. Mears faces Democrat Mark Kaufmann, who was unopposed in his primary, in November.
Democratic
Kaufmann is a political newcomer running for Richland County Commissioner, per the Richland Source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Mark Kaufmann.
Republican · Incumbent
Mears holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Toledo and spent more than 25 years at R.R. Donnelley and Sons Company, also working at General Motors' Mansfield plant and teaching communications courses at universities for over two decades, per his official county biography page. He was appointed to the Board of Commissioners in 2021 to complete an unexpired term, was elected to retain the seat in 2022, and previously served as an at-large member and then president of Mansfield City Council.
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