SCOTUS Rejects Ohio Candidate’s Bid To Return To GOP Primary Ballot

The Supreme Court declined to intervene in Ohio’s Republican primary election, rejecting a congressional candidate’s request to be restored to the ballot. The decision came just as early voting was set to begin.

The candidate, Samuel Ronan, previously ran for chair of the Democratic National Committee. He later launched a campaign to challenge Republican Rep. Mike Carey in his congressional district, Courthouse News Service reported.

Ronan’s candidacy was challenged by a voter who argued he was not a legitimate member of the Republican Party. Ohio election officials subsequently removed him from the primary ballot.

Ronan filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court seeking reinstatement. He argued the decision to remove him was based on his political speech.

“By their own written admission, [Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose] removed Ronan from Ohio’s Republican primary ballot based solely on the content of his political speech,” Ronan wrote. “But Ronan did not lie.”

Ronan said his campaign reflected a shift in political alignment rather than a strategy to mislead voters. He argued that candidates changing party affiliation is not uncommon in American politics.

“That is not a ‘strategic candidacy’ or some kind of trick,” Ronan wrote. “It is what countless politicians, including Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, have done before Ronan.”

Mark Brown, an attorney at Capital University Law School representing Ronan, criticized the outcome. “We are disappointed,” Brown said.

Brown alleged that Ronan’s opponent interfered with his ballot access. He said Rep. Carey worked with the Ohio Republican Party to challenge the candidacy.

Brown also raised concerns about potential bias among election officials. He said a member of the Franklin County Board of Elections should have recused herself from the decision.
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