Butler councilman files election challenge against independent mayoral candidate
Butler city councilman and Republican mayoral candidate Donald Shearer is challenging the nomination petition filed by Thomas Donaldson, a former mayor, who is trying to return to the office as an independent in the Nov. 4 election.
Shearer filed a petition Thursday, Aug. 7, in Common Pleas Court objecting to the petition Donaldson filed Aug. 1 challenging the validity of 18 of the 113 signatures on the petition and other alleged deficiencies.
“That’s politics. That’s how it works,” Donaldson said. “Mr. Shearer isn’t man enough to run in a three-way race.”
Shearer’s challenge claims some of the signatures on Donaldson’s petition are illegible, some of those who signed are not registered voters, some of the signatories’ addresses are not in the city, the street where one signer lives is in Butler Township and one person dated his signature Aug. 11, which is after the Aug. 8 deadline to submit petitions.
In addition, Shearer argues that Donaldson is registered to vote under the name Thomas P. Donaldson, but listed his name as Tom Donaldson on the petition. Two lines on the petition have identical handwriting and appear to have been written by the same person, according to Shearer’s challenge.
A judge has not yet been assigned to the case.
Shearer won the Republican Party nomination and incumbent Bob Dandoy won the Democratic Party nomination. If Donaldson’s petition withstands the challenge, he will appear on the ballot as an independent.
“Mr. Shearer knows he can’t win a three-way race. There’s a good chance I’ll win or Mr. Dandoy will win,” Donaldson said.
He said each person who signed his petition lives in the city and all are registered voters. Some who signed are elderly and had difficulty writing their names, he said.
Shearer said he’ll comment on the challenge after it is resolved in court.
“It’s an open case. I’ll comment once its resolved,” Shearer said.
Donaldson served as mayor as a Republican from 2014 to 2018, and narrowly lost in the 2023 election for a seat on city council by a 55-vote margin.
