Pictured, from left, are Republican county clerk candidate Jonathan McLean and Republican county board candidate Ron Schultheis. (Kermit Constantine photo)

As the election season begins, the Monroe County Republican Central Committee announced a full slate of candidates for six county offices that will appear on the March 2018 ballot — including two newcomers.

Of particular interest are the seats of Monroe County Clerk and Monroe County Commissioner, both of which will be open pending the retirements of Republican Dennis Knobloch and Democrat Delbert Wittenauer.

Jonathan McLean will run as a Republican for Monroe County Clerk, a seat held by Knobloch, who is set to retire after having served 21 years in office.

McLean, 35, of Columbia, has worked as a property and casualty insurance agent since 2001. He specializes in coverage for commercial trucking, wireless telecommunications and healthcare businesses.

McLean is a 2005 graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in economics. He served as the chairman of the Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development Council from 2008-2012. He has also been an active general aviation private pilot since 2008.

He has been married to his wife, Susan, for 11 years and has two daughters, Madison, 9, and Abigail, 6. Jon is the son of Monroe County Republican Central Committee Chairman Ed McLean.

Hoping for a sweep, the Republicans will present Ron Schultheis of Fults to replace Wittenauer on the Monroe County Board. Wittenauer is currently the only elected Democrat on the county board. He will have served as commissioner for 12 years when he retires next year. It is not yet known if a Democrat will be running for Wittenauer’s county board seat.

Schultheis is a lifelong resident of Monroe County and a graduate of Valmeyer High School. He is retired from Monroe County Electric Co-operative, where he worked for almost 42 years as an electrical lineman and member of IBEW Local 309. 

He previously served on the Monroe County Zoning Board as chairman and currently serves on the Monroe County Planning Commission.

In his spare time, he raises cattle, follows his grandchildren’s sports activities and enjoys collecting Monroe County memorabilia.

He has been married to Sue (nee Sauer) Schultheis for 43 years and has two daughters, Leanne (James) Arnold of Fults and Andrea (JP) Childers of St. Joseph, and four grandchildren, Caroline, Claire, Will and Addi. 

Ron and Sue are members of Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Waterloo.

The remaining offices that will appear on the March 20, 2018, ballot are treasurer, sheriff, assessor and regional superintendent of schools. The Republicans announced that the current officeholders for all of those positions — Kevin Koenigstein, Neal Rohlfing, Carl Wuertz and Kelton Davis, respectively, will all seek re-election.

Beginning Sept. 5, prospective candidates could begin seeking the signatures required to place their names on the ballot.