Rolletta seeks city council at-large seat

• Rolletta filed Wednesday with the Licking County Board of Elections to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
• The Democratic Party Central Committee chose Rolletta to replace Marc Guthrie on the ballot.
• Guthrie withdrew from the race to focus on his 3-year-old granddaughter, who is battling leukemia.

NEWARK – City Councilman Alex Rolletta will have a lot more doors to knock on this year than during his first campaign for office.

Rolletta, D-4th Ward, filed Wednesday with the Licking County Board of Elections to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot as a candidate for council at-large.

He received the nomination from the Licking County Democratic Party Central Committee to replace Marc Guthrie.

Guthrie, D-at large, recently withdrew from the race to focus on his 3-year-old granddaughter, who is battling leukemia. Guthrie also started an organization to help other central Ohio families fighting pediatric cancer.

Rolletta won his first attempt at elected office two years ago, when he knocked on 3,000 doors in capturing the 4th Ward council seat. This time, he seeks votes from all seven wards in the city.

“I don’t think it’s physically possible to knock on every door in the city, but I’ll give my best effort to knock on as many as I can,” Rolletta said.

“I’m going to work hard and reach out to a lot of citizens in this city, just like I did the first time.”

Rolletta said he does not see a big difference between serving as a ward councilman or a council at-large member.

“A councilman is a councilman,” Rolletta said. “All council members have the same vote and I vote on things that affect whole city. I do my best be responsive no matter what ward a person lives in.”

Three candidates will be elected to council at-large seats. The other candidates are Democrats Bill Cost Jr. and Daniel Crawford, and Republicans Ryan Bubb, Jeff Rath and Mark Fraizer.

Cost and Bubb are incumbents, while Rath represents the 3rd Ward.

“Alex has been a great representative for the 4th Ward and will be as great for the rest of Newark's residents,” Licking County Democratic Party chairwoman Grace Cherrington said.

If Rolletta wins the at-large election, the party would choose a replacement to complete his term as 4th Ward representative. If not elected, Rolletta will continue in his current position.

“I believe if I’m successful, the committee would be able to find a good candidate,” Rolletta said. “I do think our city races should be non-partisan.

“I think a lot of issues that divide Democrats and Republicans don’t come into play at the local level.”

Guthrie’s term ends at the end of the year. He has served in elected office at various levels for 41 years.

“All I can do is thank him for his years and years of service to the community,” Rolletta said.

kmallett@newark

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