Libertarians removed from Ohio governor’s race

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted ruled on Friday that the Libertarian candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general did not have enough valid petition signatures to make the May primary and November general election ballots, which could end up helping Husted’s fellow Republican, Gov. John Kasich.

Libertarian Party of Ohio gubernatorial candidate Charlie Earl and his running mate Sherry Clark as well as LPO attorney general candidate Steven Linnabary improperly used paid petition circulators who did not identify the LPO as their employer – violations that led Husted’s office to throw out signatures collected by those circulators. That left the Libertarians short of the required 500 valid voter signatures to make the primary ballot.

LPO spokesman Aaron Keith Harris said in a written statement that the party will challenge the decision in federal court immediately and it expects to win.

“We expected Husted’s decision, as he, John Kasich and the rest of the Ohio GOP mafia have been working hard for months to violate voting rights and thwart democratic participation,” Harris said. “They are cowards and bullies who are afraid to give voters a chance to hear from candidates who are fiscally responsible and value constitutional rights.”

In November, the Ohio Democratic Party released a poll it paid for that showed the race tied between Democrat Ed FitzGerald and Kasich if Earl is also on the ballot. That poll had FitzGerald and Kasich each getting 41 percent and Earl peeling off 6 percent.

The most recent head-to-head poll from Quinnipiac University released in February shows FitzGerald trailing Kasich by 5 points.

Husted made the decision based on recommendations from hearing officer Bradley Smith, who held a protest hearing earlier in the week. Smith is a former Republican appointee to the Federal Elections Commission and a current law professor at Capital University.

If the decision stands, it would likely help Kasich in his re-election bid, since Libertarians tend to vote for more conservative candidates.

Earl was expected to siphon off votes from the Republican incumbent, which would in turn help FitzGerald.

In Other News

Butler, Hamilton counties seize large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine

Medicaid cuts could impact jobs, tax revenue, analysts say

Medicaid estate recovery: Ohio bill seeks to add notification...

Measles outbreak with 10 cases confirmed in northeast Ohio

Medicaid under fire: Deep cuts proposed as state waits for approval to...

About the Author

Laura A. Bischoff

Laura Bischoff is our Columbus bureau reporter and covers politics and state government. She keeps a close eye on elected leaders, public employees and taxpayer money. Bischoff tries to write stories that inform voters, hold leaders accountable and strengthen democracy.