Ohio Republican Party May 9th Meeting Recap
Party Endorses Jon Husted for U.S. Senate and Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor
The Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee opened the May 9th meeting by hearing from several statewide officeholders and candidates, including those running for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2026. All Committee members were present except for David Todd from District 3. The following members attended remotely via Zoom: Debbie Lang (SD4), Amanda Suffecool (SD27), Bryan Williams (SD28), Debbie Carr (SD28), Larry J. Carver (SD29), Jim Carnes (SD30), and Charlie Frye (SD32).
Secretary of State Frank LaRose (running for Auditor in 2026)
Frank LaRose urged the committee to unite behind Jon Husted for U.S. Senate and Vivek Ramaswamy as the clear choice for Governor. He pointed to Vivek’s strengths—widespread grassroots enthusiasm, leading poll numbers, strong financial backing, and an early endorsement from President Trump. LaRose described Vivek as a high-energy candidate who is ready to work hard to earn every vote. He concluded by stating that rallying behind both candidates now is the best path to victory in 2026.
Auditor Keith Faber (running for Attorney General in 2026)
State Auditor Keith Faber spoke about a proposed ballot measure to end qualified immunity. He warned it would harm law enforcement, make recruitment and retention harder, and damage communities. Faber urged members to help discourage people from signing the petition and pledged to fight the measure if it reaches the ballot.
Senator Rob McColley
Senate President Rob McColley praised the General Assembly caucus for leading boldly, citing major legislative wins like SB1, which reformed higher education to be more student-focused and eliminated DEI programs, and SB2 and HB15, which solidified Ohio’s pro-energy stance by prioritizing natural gas development. He credited the State Central Committee for restoring order in the House ( a reference to the censure of Jason Stephens and the Blue 22) and for past bold decisions, including the endorsement of Donald Trump. McColley urged the committee to continue that leadership by uniting behind Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, calling them the clear front-runners for 2026 and essential to securing GOP victories.
Senator Kristina Roegner (running for State Treasurer in 2026)
State Senator Kristina Roegner took time to speak about her candidacy for State Treasurer, sharing her background in mechanical engineering, an MBA from Wharton, and experience as a management consultant. With a public service record dating back to 2005, she has served at both local and state levels, earning a reputation as a hardworking, results-oriented leader focused on regulatory reform and unlocking economic opportunity. Roegner said she is running to be a fiscal watchdog, committed to transparency, conservative financial stewardship, and protecting state pensions. She stated that the Treasurer’s role is about results and trust—not politics. She also voiced her support for Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor and Jon Husted for U.S. Senate.
Treasurer Robert Sprague (running for Secretary of State in 2026)
Robert Sprague warned that party unity is critical heading into 2026, reminding the committee of the devastating losses in 2006 when Republicans failed to unite behind a single gubernatorial candidate—resulting in a 24-point loss and the collapse of GOP control across statewide offices. He urged members to learn from that history, stressing that a united ticket is essential to winning both top and down-ballot races. Sprague called on the committee to show leadership by endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor and Jon Husted for U.S. Senate, saying these choices were key to securing victory for the party and the people of Ohio.
Republican Judicial Hopefuls Address the Committee
Four Republican judicial candidates are competing for the chance to challenge Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner, the state's last Democrat in statewide office, in the 2026 election. Each candidate was allowed a few minutes to address the committee.
Democrats have one seat left on the Ohio Supreme Court. At least four Republicans are vying for it
Colleen O’Donnell
Former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Colleen O’Donnell shared her experience serving on the federal immigration board in Laredo, Texas, where she handled cases involving MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, and human smugglers. She described the severity of the border crisis, noting that she issued removal orders for individuals who did not qualify to remain in the U.S. under the law. O’Donnell spoke about the strain on immigration courts, the limitations placed on border patrol agents, and the frequent failure to enforce judges' removal orders. She credited President Trump with bringing renewed energy to the fight against lawlessness but emphasized that challenges persist, particularly with judges who issue injunctions or manipulate the law for political purposes. O’Donnell said she is running for the Ohio Supreme Court to serve with integrity, uphold the Constitution, respect the separation of powers, and defend the rule of law.
Judge Ron Lewis
Judge Ron Lewis currently serves on the Second District Court of Appeals. His background includes roles as a municipal court judge, prosecutor, and law director. He is also a husband, father of four, and—most importantly to him—a proud grandfather.
Judge Andrew King
Judge Andrew King currently serves on the Fifth District Court of Appeals. He reminded the committee of his January pledge that he wouldn’t be outworked and noted he’s visited 60 counties and attended numerous Lincoln Day dinners. Stressing the importance of defeating the incumbent Democrat, he pointed to his own experience winning a previous race against an incumbent Democrat with a 64–36 margin, saying that’s the kind of proven record needed for this race.
Judge Joe Burke
Judge Joe Burke currently serves as a Rocky River Municipal Court Judge. He described himself as a conservative judge from Cuyahoga County who flipped a Democrat-held seat and later won reelection despite an independent challenger. He pointed to his work ethic, fundraising ability, and legal experience, including three Ohio Supreme Court victories. He pointed to his judicial philosophy of interpreting—not making—law, citing the Beverage Holdings v. Valentino VAL, LLC 159 Ohio St. 3d 194 (2019) case as an example of opposing judicial activism. Burke highlighted his long career, including service with Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole, and positioned himself as a principled conservative who calls “balls and strikes.”
Later in the meeting, the Committee approved the panel of judicial screening committee members. Appointed by the Chairman, this panel will review candidates and make endorsement recommendations to the Committee. These recommendations could be presented as early as August. Comparing the new judicial screening committee to the one approved for the last Supreme Court race in April 2023, several members were picked to serve again. They include Dave Johnson (SD33), Susie O’Brien (SD25), Gary Cates (SD4), Ron O’Brien (SD25), Bonnie Ward (SD17), Bill Heck (SD9), Zoi Romanchuk (SD22), Dan Carter (SD18), Josh Brown (SD16), Keith Cheney (SD12), Melanie Leneghan (SD19), Steve Austria (SD10), and Michelle Schneider (SD7).
New judicial screening committee members include: Sandra Brasington (SD6), Joe Miller (SD21), Nan Baker (SD23), Fred Vogel (SD26), Bryan Williams (SD28), Khadine Ritter (SD30), Russ Mock (SD9), Mark Wagoner (SD11), Meredith Freedhoff (SD16), Diane Redden (SD7), Kathy Kimble (SD31), and Tess Elshoff (SD12).
The committee includes 15 men and 12 women, with regional representation as follows: 4 from northwest Ohio, 7 from the central region, 6 from the southwest, 3 from the southeast, and 7 from the northeast.
Several districts are represented by both their male and female committee members:
District 7: Gary Cates and Debbie Lang
District 12: Tess Elshoff and Keith Cheney
District 16: Josh Brown and Meredith Freedhoff
District 22: Bill Heck and Zoi Romanchuk
Vacancy Updates and Committee Appointment
Janet Weir Creighton (District 29) has withdrawn and will not pursue the vacancy left by Jane Timken. No new recommendation has been submitted, and the matter will be revisited in August.
To fill the vacancy left by David Glass following his election as commissioner, Russ Moore, chairman of Gallia County GOP, was nominated by Bonnie Ward (District 17) as the sole candidate. The committee unanimously approved his appointment. Moore was sworn in and officially took his seat on the committee.
The 2026 Endorsement Process and Why It Shouldn’t Be Held in Executive Session
Chairman Alex Triantafilou described endorsements as a “family discussion” where committee members can openly debate candidates’ strengths, weaknesses, and the party’s direction heading into 2026. A motion was made and seconded to enter executive session. After a vote, the Chairman asked all non-members, non-staff, and anyone not part of the Ohio Republican Party or legal counsel to leave the room. He then reviewed the endorsement procedures outlined in the bylaws.
I disagree with the decision to move the discussion behind closed doors. Constituents have already raised concerns about meetings no longer being advertised, recorded, or live-streamed. Even those constituents who attended the Columbus meeting were excluded from hearing directly from the gubernatorial candidates. If this is truly a political “family discussion,” then my constituents in District 5 deserve a seat at the table.
Voters should be able to hear what the candidates say, and how committee members evaluate them. Instead, I’m now prohibited from sharing even general insights from the session. That’s unacceptable.
In any organization that claims to represent the people, secrecy is not a virtue—it is a failure of leadership. It avoids scrutiny, evades accountability, and disrespects the citizens we serve.
The Ohio Republican State Central Committee is not a private club. It is a public body, elected by the people, funded by the people, and answerable to the people. Yet under current leadership, the Committee has become increasingly opaque. Meetings aren’t recorded. Deliberations happen in executive session. Key decisions are made out of public view.
This isn’t about protecting strategy—it’s about avoiding accountability. Refusing to record meetings assumes that transparency is a threat and that voters can’t be trusted with the truth.
Some of the most important, principled speeches I’ve heard were delivered in these meetings. They deserved to be heard, preserved, and remembered—not hidden. We’re told that recording may create “gotcha” moments. But that raises a deeper concern: what are we afraid of? Are our ideas so weak, our behavior so questionable, that they can’t survive public scrutiny?
This isn’t about optics—it’s about integrity. The cost of recording meetings is minimal. The cost of continued secrecy is enormous.
The Republican Party says it stands for principle, individual rights, limited government, and moral clarity. But those values are meaningless without transparency. Members of the State Central Committee serve the voters of Ohio—not themselves. And the voters have a fundamental right to see how we speak, vote, and lead.
I am permitted to share that after the discussion, the Committee voted 51–13 to move forward with endorsements and then overwhelmingly endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy by a vote of 60–3. Following the vote, Vivek was invited into the room to deliver a speech.
Ohio GOP paves the way for Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial bid
Vivek’s Speech After Endorsement
Vivek expressed gratitude for the endorsement and acknowledged the responsibility it entails—not only to win his own race but also to support Republican candidates across all levels. He urged members to reflect on the coalition built during the November election, which was much broader than the traditional Republican Party. Vivek stated his intention to build on that momentum, extend outreach to new areas, and recruit voters who align with the party’s values but have yet to recognize themselves as Republicans. He stated that the party will work together not only toward the immediate goal of the upcoming November election but also toward a greater destination, leading Ohio to its best days as a state and helping guide the nation toward its best days.
Final Actions: Subcommittee Approvals and Passage of Two Resolutions
The Committee finished the meeting by approving the judicial screening committee, the endorsement policy review committee, and the permanent rules and bylaws committee. In 2023, I was appointed to the Endorsement Policy Review Committee, chaired by Keith Cheney (SD12). However, no meetings were ever convened to review the guidelines. I am hopeful that this time, the Committee will actively meet to carry out its intended purpose of reviewing and discussing the guidelines.
Two resolutions were also unanimously passed by the Committee. The first was a resolution on election integrity, which expressed the Ohio Republican Party's support for President Trump's March 25, 2025, Executive Order aimed at protecting the integrity of U.S. elections. It also urges the Ohio General Assembly (House and Senate) to pass any laws necessary to implement the order in the state. The second resolution was a resolution recognizing the critical role Ohio Young Republicans play in the party and celebrating their 90th Anniversary.
Updates Following the Meeting
On Friday, May 16, Committee members received an email notifying us that Dave Yost had suspended his campaign for governor.
Yost suspends run for Republican nomination for Ohio governor, leaving open path for Ramaswamy
In my next newsletter, I’ll share the questionnaire I sent to the gubernatorial candidates and examine how the State Central Committee could move to close Ohio’s primaries.
May God bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you His peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Sincerely,
Jessica Franz, Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee (ORPSCC), serving Senate District 5
Your hard work is deeply appreciated!!
Thanks for this clear, concise summary of the meeting. This is very helpful.