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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2024
[St Marys, OHIO] – News has emerged that Republican Representative Tex Fischer, who was appointed to fill Senator Al Cutrona’s former seat, is being challenged under Ohio's name change provision. Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Chris Anderson filed the protest, questioning the Ohio GOP's consistency in enforcing this rarely applied law.
Chair Anderson's protest seeks to reveal potential double standards within the Ohio GOP. In an interview with the Statehouse News Bureau, Anderson remarked:
"I'm just trying to see whether the law actually applies equally or if it’s like everything else we've seen out of Columbus, where it's just … one set of rules for Republicans to follow and then one set of rules for everybody else."
The Mahoning County Board of Elections' vote resulted in a tie along party lines, leaving the final decision with Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who has not yet cast his tie-breaking vote.
As the Democratic candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives, I want to make my stance on this matter clear. I support Chair Anderson's efforts to expose the selective enforcement of this provision by the Ohio GOP. The recent challenges against my candidacy and others were clearly motivated by partisanship and aimed at disenfranchising voices that stand for equality.
However, I also believe that Rep. Tex Fischer should NOT be removed from the ballot over this issue. While Rep. Fischer and I likely hold differing views on many policy matters, it's clear that this provision is outdated and needs reform. Candidates should be able to compete based on their ideas and policies, not be disqualified by selectively enforced rules that no longer serve the interests of Ohio voters.
Arienne Childrey
Democratic Candidate for Ohio House of Representatives, District 84