By Reid Forgrave
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Delhi Township voters chose change Tuesday in Hamilton County's most crowded ballot for a township trustee race.

Local automotive shop owner Albert C. Duebber handily defeated 24-year incumbent Nicholas J. LaScalea for one of the two trustee positions up for grabs in the west side township.

Mike Davis, a St. Ignatius civics and religion teacher who says he gives voice to Delhi youth, edged out three other candidates, including Ron Kruse, a former trustee, and Kevin Rhodes, the Republican son of Hamilton County auditor Dusty Rhodes. With 100 percent of precincts reporting unofficial returns, Davis beat Rhodes by 159 votes out of 6,615 votes cast. Kruse finished 119 votes behind Rhodes.

Duebber, endorsed by the local Republican club and focused on revitalizing Delhi's business district, had 69 percent of votes, while LaScalea pulled in 31 percent.

"This sends a good, strong message to the Delhi Township administration that we need to get a change of leadership here," Duebber said Tuesday night from his home, where he celebrated with Davis and 50 supporters.

There were plenty more hotly contested races in Hamilton County's 12 townships.

In Green Township, where overdevelopment is the issue of the day, residents overwhelmingly voted for a long-time incumbent trustee.

Tony Upton, a trustee here since 1990, defeated challengers Ken Brodbeck, the lone Democrat in the race, and Bob Luckey, at age 32 the youngest of all Hamilton County township trustee candidates, by a resounding margin.

With 100 percent of Green Township precincts reporting unofficial returns, Upton had 57 percent of votes, while Brodbeck had 29.5 percent and Luckey 13.5 percent.

In Colerain Township, the largest township in Ohio, Keith Corman, a trustee since 1997, defeated Joseph Wolterman, who had been a Colerain trustee from 1986 until 2001.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Corman had received 54 percent of votes; Wolterman 46 percent.

In Anderson Township, where challengers to a seven-year trustee brought up business development as the main concern in the urban eastern Hamilton County township, the incumbent won.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Russ Jackson, Jr., a trustee since 1996, received 49 percent of votes. Thomas I. Luttmer got 44 percent, and Rome Hughes got 6 percent.

With 100 percent of precincts in Sycamore Township reporting, Richard C. Kent, a trustee since 1990, defeated challenger Bob Hollifield 67 percent to 33 percent.

And in Symmes Township, Eric Minamyer, a trustee since 1995, defeated Michael A. Howell. Minamyer got 60 percent of votes.

E-mail rforgrave@enquirer.com