Written by With current Marion County Commissioner Mark Davis’s term expiring at the end of this year, and his announcement that he will not be running for re-election, there’s been a lot of talk and rumor around who will be running for his commissioner seat.
The deadline for candidates to file to run in the May 5th primary is Wednesday, the 4th of February 2026 at 4:00 pm.
Mr. Schaber announced today that he will be running for the seat, making him the first candidate to make an official announcement.
Schaber recently lost his seat representing the 3rd Ward on Marion City Council, as he was defeated by Ralph W Smith in the May 2025 Republican Primary by a score of 63.07% to 36.93%.
The prior year, he ran for Kerr E Murray’s commissioner seat in the Republican primary and was defeated by Kevin W Davidson, who currently serves on the three-member board.
Schaber entered city politics in 2007, when he was elected to an At-Large position on Marion City Council. He held that position until January 2014.
He then ran again in 2017, being elected to represent the 3rd Ward. He held that position until January 1st, 2026. In total, he served 14 years on Marion City Council–with most of that being under the Democratic administration of former mayor Scott Schertzer.
It will be interesting to see who else announces his or her intention to run for Marion County Commissioner. With the deadline only a few weeks away, more announcements should be coming soon.
According to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, the salary for this position will be $81,150.00.