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Secretary-of-state hopefuls target Ohio’s election system
By DAVID SKOLNICK
YOUNGSTOWN
The Republican primary race for secretary of state pits state Sen. Jon Husted, who served four years as speaker of the Ohio House, against Sandra O’Brien, a former Ashtabula County auditor.
On paper, it looks like a victory for Husted, a state legislator since 2001, in the May 4 GOP primary.
Husted has numerous major endorsements including the Ohio Republican Party, several county Republican parties, Ohio Veterans United, the National Rifle Association and the Ohio Right to Life Political Action Committee.
But O’Brien cannot be dismissed.
She pulled off an upset in the 2006 Republican primary for treasurer by defeating incumbent Jennette Bradley. O’Brien, a 12-year Ashtabula County auditor, was defeated in the general election by Democrat Richard Cordray.
If elected secretary of state, Husted, of Kettering, and O’Brien, of Ashtabula, both said they’d rebuild confidence in the state’s election system they contend has been lost.
Husted’s major proposal is an overhaul as to how Ohio draws state legislative districts. Districts are redrawn every 10 years after the U.S. Census.
The responsibility to draw districts rests with the state Apportionment Board, made up of the governor, secretary of state, auditor and a legislator from the two major political parties.
“I want to change apportionment to a bipartisan, nongerrymandered process,” he said. “The current system is just not working.”
Husted’s plan would retain the three executive officeholders on the current board.
The two legislators would be replaced by the House speaker, Senate president and the minority leaders in both legislative bodies.
Also, a five-vote majority with support from at least two commission members from the minority party would be needed to make changes.
The GOP-controlled state Senate already has passed Husted’s bill.
O’Brien, an adjunct professor at Lakeland Community College, said Husted’s bill would take “our government further away from us and give this process to an unelected bureaucracy further eroding our freedoms. Let’s keep our voting rights.”
The winner of the Republican primary would face Democrat Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, Libertarian L. Michael Howard and any independent candidates who file to run by the May 3 deadline in the November general election.