COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two Libertarian Party candidates, including the party's chairman, and a team from the Green Party have qualified as write-in candidates for the statewide primary election with the hope of reaching the November ballot.

The Green Party's Anita Rios and Bob Fitrakis filed as write-ins for the gubernatorial race. Rios is the candidate for governor, while Fitrakis is her lieutenant governor running mate.

Rios, of Toledo, previously has run for local offices in that city and for U.S. Senate in 2012. Fitrakis, from Columbus, ran as a Green Party candidate for governor in 2006 and for Congress in 2012.

Republican Gov. John Kasich and Libertarian Charlie Earl are unopposed in the May primary. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Larry Ealy of suburban Dayton both filed as Democratic candidates.

Bob Bridges of Columbus filed as a Libertarian candidate for state auditor. Bridges is the political director for the Libertarian Party of Ohio.

Republican Auditor Dave Yost and Democratic state Rep. John Patrick Carney qualified for the primary ballot and are unopposed.

Kevin Knedler, the state chairman for the Libertarian Party, filed to run as secretary of state.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted and Democratic state Sen. Nina turner both qualified for the primary ballot and are unopposed.

In all three contests, the Green and Libertarian parties had filed petitions with the Ohio secretary of state by the Feb. 5 filing deadline to place candidates on the May primary ballot. But each of those candidates failed to have the required 500 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify.

These candidates will have to reach that 500 vote threshold to qualify for the November ballot, said Matt McClellan, Husted's press secretary.

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Libertarian, Green parties post write-in candidates for primary in hopes of reaching November ballot