ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Incumbent Belmont County Commissioners J.P. Dutton and Josh Meyer successfully defended their seats Tuesday against contenders Vince Gianangeli and Mike Bianconi, respectively.

Dutton and Meyer, both Republicans, were first elected in 2016 and succeeded again Tuesday, when voters approved the Republican candidate in every contested race in the county.

Dutton took the lead with 17,717 votes to Gianangeli’s 13,642 votes. Meyer received 20,382 votes and Bianconi 10,984, according to unofficial vote totals from the Belmont County Board of Elections.

“I’m very excited,” Dutton said upon hearing the news of his victory, adding that he faced stiff competition from Gianangeli. “It was a very difficult campaign, as all campaigns are, but I think that I was able to talk about the issues we have addressed over the last few years and are going to address in the next few years.”

“I know there’s so many good things ahead, and we’re going to tackle the challenges that come ahead,” he said.

Dutton thanked county residents for their vote of confidence in the commissioners’ administration.

“People in general are very optimistic with where Belmont County is headed. I think that’s the common theme that I heard,” he said. “They appreciated that my campaign was strictly about the issues. … They’ve witnessed that in terms of the way the board of commissioners has operated as a group for the last few years. They feel that we’re handling our business in a very professional manner, and I think that’s very much appreciated by the residents.”

Meyer could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Belmont County has many projects to consider in the coming years, most immediately the final stages of consolidating all the county courts and the prosecutor’s office in one building along National Road that formerly belonged to The Health Plan. It was purchased and is being renovated for the Northern, Eastern and Western Division county courts and the office of new Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan.

Upgrades to the county’s water system are also in the works, which is expected to lead to possible economic expansion in the county, as well as to Belmont County becoming the water provider for the city of St. Clairsville.

Another significant decision to consider is the Belmont County Jail, which may be expanded to deal with the burgeoning inmate population.

In addition, Dutton and Meyer will continue to help steer the county through an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related economic losses.

“There’s a lot of work to do ahead, and that was my major reason for deciding to run for re-election. I’m very proud of how much work we’ve been able to accomplish in a short amount of time. That being said, there is so many great things and challenges yet ahead. I want to be a part of that. I think I can add to that as I’ve been adding to that for the past few years.”