Early in the evening, Kolberg said he was “cautiously optimistic,” but couldn’t be reached for comment immediately after results. Rettich will face Democrat John Ebersole in November in the race for Miamisburg Municipal Court Judge.
The current judge, Robert Messham, is retiring. Messham, a Democrat, supported Kolberg, who has been magistrate at the court for nearly 20 years and acting judge since 2002. In addition to Miamisburg, the court’s jurisdiction includes Miami Twp, West Carrollton, Germantown and German Twp.
The race turned acrimonious in April — with allegations of threats and campaign legal violations — after the Republican Party precinct captains for those areas voted 23-4 to endorse Rettich, an attorney in Germantown. Kolberg had been recommended over Rettich by the party’s screening committee in January.
Rettich’s supporters claimed Kolberg was a Democrat who is running in a Republican primary because he didn’t think he could beat Ebersole in a Democratic primary. Kolberg countered that Republican party officials had asked him to run as a Republican.
During the campaign, a fatal shooting involving Rettich came to light. Rettich was investigated but not charged in the 1978 incident.
Police records indicate Rettich and his wife were in a dispute with a man fixing their home, Mark Rotellini. During a struggle with Robert Rettich, Rotellini was shot and later died. Rettich told Montgomery County Republicans he returned home, surprised an intruder trying to steal his gun, and the fatal shot was fired during a struggle.
Rettich is the former law director for the village of Farmersville, has served as Arbitrator on Common Pleas Court Arbitration Panels, and has been an acting judge in the Miamisburg Municipal Court.
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