BELLEVUE, Ohio — Bellevue City Councilman Joseph Burkhart, a Republican who chairs the city’s Public Safety Committee and is facing 22 criminal charges, has lost his bid for re-election to an at-large council seat.
According to unofficial results from the Huron County Board of Elections, Burkhart received just 84 votes (12.3%), finishing last in a four-way race for three at-large seats. The top three vote-getters were Kendall C. Shepherd (33.8%), Adam Morrison (28.1%), and Charles Daniel (25.8%), who will each serve new terms on Bellevue City Council.
Burkhart’s defeat comes less than two months after his Sept. 19 arrest, when he was charged in connection with a domestic disturbance on Sinclair Street. He was later indicted on 22 counts, including assault, strangulation, menacing by stalking, burglary, telecommunications harassment, tampering with evidence, and possession of a controlled substance, according to court records.
Authorities said deputies responding to the scene found evidence of forced entry and suspected narcotics. Burkhart, 38, was booked at the Huron County Jail on a $77,000 bond, with his arraignment scheduled for Oct. 21.
On the day of his arrest, Burkhart posted on his Facebook page, writing, “Real truth bout to come out.” Later, he added, “Videos and pics to come. I’m no thief.”
Burkhart has described himself as a Trump supporter and MAGA Republican on social media, and has previously shared photos attending Trump rallies and posing with GOP figures including Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s handpicked 2026 Ohio gubernatorial candidate.
Despite his criminal charges, Burkhart remained on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election, where voters ultimately rejected his bid for another term.
