Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted took an important step to protect local election integrity when he intervened and removed a disruptive Lucas County Elections Board member. Now he must ensure the smooth operation of that important public body by choosing a new board member himself.
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Mr. Husted has unfortunately been forced to step in with the local board several times in recent years. He must ensure he won’t have to do so again by rejecting replacement nominees who are only likely to continue stirring discontent.
Since Mr. Husted removed Republican board member James Hartley last month — in part for attempting to engineer a back-room deal with Democrats to appoint Lucas County Republican Chairman Jon Stainbrook to a $94,000-a-year job as elections director — the local GOP has the opportunity to nominate his replacement.
Mr. Stainbrook’s choice, East Toledoan Ernie McCarthy, is a likable and well-meaning candidate, but his sole qualification is his association with Mr. Stainbrook. That might not be a disqualifier if Mr. McCarthy had a background in elections or in the law, but given that he lacks those things, being an agent of Mr. Stainbrook makes him a pawn.
Dating back to his own tenure on the elections board — from which Mr. Husted removed him in 2014 for creating a “culture of dysfunction,” among other problems — Mr. Stainbrook has sought to pick fights, stir up drama, and otherwise undermine the elections board’s important work.
Mr. Hartley — another Stainbrook pick — became an agent of Mr. Stainbrook’s agenda on the board when Mr. Stainbrook could no longer directly participate.
This makes it necessary for the secretary of state to choose a local Republican board member himself, as he did in 2014 when he tapped Peter Handwork and Mark Wagoner, Sr., for the board. Once they took their seats, the board and the elections department ran more smoothly and without a soap opera. That’s what we need again. Mr. Husted must step in.
First Published May 8, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
