Locals weigh in on Boehner resignation; special elections will decide replacement

September 26, 2015 at 12:09a.m.

COLUMBUS

Gov. John Kasich’s administration already is in contact with Secretary of State Jon Husted to determine the details for a special election to replace U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, after his surprise resignation.

Boehner, a Republican, announced Friday that he will not only give up his speaker position, effective at the end of October, but also that he would resign from Congress. Boehner has represented portions of southwest Ohio since 1991.

Facing another battle with the far right-wing faction of his party – over a government shutdown to defund Planned Parenthood this time and continued calls to resign as speaker – Boehner opted to quit. He was first elected speaker in 2011.

Special elections – a primary and then a final contest – will be scheduled to determine who next will hold the seat. Kasich will determine the ultimate time line.

“There will have to be both a primary and a general election,” said Josh Eck, Husted’s spokesman. “The governor will have to call both of them. There’s no parameters on what types of dates he must use for that.”

It’s too late to have the primary during the Nov. 3 general election (those ballots started being mailed to military and overseas voters a week ago). A December or January primary could be a more likely scenario.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, said that while he had disagreements with Boehner, he respected him for trying “to bring compromise and unity” to Congress.

“Unfortunately, his attempts fell on deaf ears because from Day One, his speakership has been hobbled by a deeply divided Republican Party and an extremist group of tea party members who are determined to prevent the government from operating,” Ryan said. “Speaker Boehner stepping down is, sadly, a victory for the tea party, but a more conservative leadership will not solve any of America’s problems and will only further lead our nation down the wrong path. This reflects the complete chaos of the current Republican Party.”

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat who served with Boehner in the House, said: “While we have not always agreed on many issues, I know that he is a good, decent man who has served our nation honorably.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, said Boehner’s “announcement is another example of the speaker putting country before self. He led the U.S. House through one of the most politically polarizing and tumultuous periods in recent American history.”

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Cincinnati, said it was Boehner who first persuaded him to run for the U.S. House. He added that he would have never been a senator without Boehner’s encouragement and continued support.

“He has been a servant- leader who never forgot where he came from, and, as speaker, had the hardest job in American politics,” Portman said.