Six Republicans will face off Tuesday in the only contested races on the primary ballot in Portage County.

GOP candidates will face off in bids for the Republican nomination for county commissioner and state representative in November.

Portage County commissioners Sabrina Christian-Bennett and Tony Badalamenti face opposition from within their own party, as does State Rep. Gail Pavliga, R-72nd, which includes most of Portage County.

Voters will go to the polls from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. For information on your polling place, check the Portage County Board of Elections’ website.

Two commissioners face opposition

Christian-Bennett was appointed in 2014, and was subsequently elected to two terms. She is owner and president of Bennett Land Title LLC.

“As a small business owner, I have worked hard to make my company a success, and I know how important it is to make every penny count,” she is quoted as responding to a questionnaire from the Portage County League of Women Voters. “I am a fiscal conservative that is experienced, proven and genuine.”

Christian-Bennett cited the lack of affordable housing as “an often overlooked necessity for economic development,” adding that it is a drag on the economy. She also would like to see workforce issues, and declining local government funds, addressed.

Sherry Griffith, her Republican opponent in the primary, did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment, and did not complete a profile with the League of Women Voters.

Badalamenti, of Aurora, has a chiropractic business. He describes himself as a “problem solver within Portage County,” and added that he hopes to address economic development, public safety, affordable housing and food insecurity.

Crawford, a Ravenna resident, is a certified public accountant with more than 30 years of experience. She said that experience is relevant to the job of commissioner, which she said involves serving as “essentially the custodian of the county’s checkbook.”

“The skill set I have developed as a professional in the financial area will be relevant and valuable to making these types of decisions,” she said.

Heated primary for state representative

State Rep. Gail Pavliga and her Republican challenger, Heidi Workman, are locked in a contentious race for the seat that represents the 72nd District, which includes most of Portage County. Much of the acrimony between the two stems from last year’s vote to elect Jason Stephens as speaker of Ohio’s House of Representatives.

Pavliga, a mental health counselor from Atwater, was elected four years ago, flipping the seat to the GOP. The terms of state representatives run for two years.

Pavliga said she is a member of the House’s Finance Committee, and has been able to bring millions in funding back to Portage County. Those projects have included the new dental school at Northeast Ohio Medical University, funds for AxessPointe location in Ravenna, millions of dollars in projects at Kent State University and the Salmon Carter House, on the grounds of the Portage County Historical Society in Ravenna.

Workman has degrees in journalism and nursing, and has served as a political activist and communications director for non-profit groups.

“We must make Ohio more business friendly and affordable,” she said. “We must compete with other states in our region, all across America and throughout the world.”

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 3 contested Republican primaries on March 19 ballot in Portage County