Ohio

Ohio Supreme Court asked to force vote on elections board challenge

Published

1 hour ago

March 12, 2026

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Ohio Supreme Court asked to force vote on elections board challenge

An Ohio Supreme Court filing seeks to compel a vote on a residency challenge against a Delaware County Board of Elections member.
The challenge questions whether board member Melanie Leneghan lives in Ohio or South Carolina.
The filing argues the board has a legal duty to hold the hearing before the upcoming primary election.

An attorney representing a woman challenging whether a Delaware County Board of Elections member lives in Ohio has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to force the remaining three elections board members to vote on the challenge.

The filing with the state’s high court came four days after the county elections board did not hold a hearing on the residency challenge against board member Melanie Leneghan, who is also the female District 19 representative for the Republican State Central Committee.

The elections board did not hold the residency hearing during its March 5 meeting or take any action on the challenge because the board’s two Democrats, Ed Helvey and Peg Watkins, recused themselves over concerns that any action they took could be seen as partisan.

Leneghan also recused herself, leaving only the board’s other Republican member, Steve Cuckler. As a result, the board didn’t have the required three members needed for a quorum.

Delaware County Republican Party Central Committee member Velva Dunn is challenging Leneghan’s right to vote in Ohio and her candidacy for reelection to the central committee in the May primary. In her challenge, Dunn alleges that Leneghan lives in South Carolina.

Leneghan, a former Liberty Township trustee, sold her home near Powell in January 2025. She is registered to vote in Galena, the elections board’s website shows.

Stay up to date with Delaware County news: Subscribe to The Dispatch’s free weekly Delaware County newsletter, The Delaware Dispatch.

Leneghan told The Dispatch on March 3 that she spends the majority of her time in Ohio, though she travels out of state for her sales job and owns property elsewhere, including in South Carolina, where she visits her daughter in college.

Dunn’s attorney, Curt Hartman, argued in the Supreme Court filing that Helvey and Watkins do not have a direct and personal interest in the challenge and their recusals, “while admirable in terms of seeking to put beyond reproach any perception of bias, is not sufficient to justify their recusal in this instance.”

Unlike when a judge or a prosecutor recuses themselves and appoints a visiting judge or special prosecutor, Hartman argued there is no mechanism or process outlined in Ohio law regarding recusals on boards of election, which are comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans. Hartman alleged that the Ohio Secretary of State does not have legal authority to consider such matters instead of the elections board.

Because there is no other remedy, Hartman argues in the filing that the other three board members have a clear legal duty to hold and conduct the hearing as required by Ohio law.

Hartman is also asking the Supreme Court to force the hearing because Leneghan is seeking reelection to the state central committee in the upcoming May 5 primary election.

In a March 11 response, the elections board’s special counsel, Frank J. Reed Jr., says that the legal concept Hartman is arguing doesn’t apply in these circumstances.

Reed also wrote that Helvey’s and Watkins’s actions were proper under the Ohio Secretary of State’s Ethics Policy for Ohio elections boards. The policy, in part, states: “Members and employees of the boards of elections should avoid actions and associations that create an appearance of impropriety, that undermine public confidence in Ohio elections officials, or that interfere with the performance of duties by Ohio elections officials.”

Now, the case is up to the justices to make a decision. The docket does not indicate when that would happen.

Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.

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Ohio

Our voting records aren’t Trump’s damn business. LaRose sold Ohio out. | Letters

Published

13 hours ago

March 12, 2026

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Our voting records aren’t Trump’s damn business. LaRose sold Ohio out. | Letters

Letters to the Editor
| Columbus Dispatch

Ohio’s Secretary of State is criticized for turning over the state’s voter registration database to the Department of Justice.
A local craft brewer urges the Ohio General Assembly to override the governor’s veto of a bill concerning THC-infused beverages.
A reader questions the salaries and job creation record of JobsOhio.
Another letter writer argues that Les Wexner could have prevented further harm by Jeffrey Epstein.
Readers calls for increased oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Our voting records aren’t Trump’s damn business

What possible justification could Secretary of State Frank LaRose have for turning over Ohio’s voter registration database to President Donald Trump’s “Department of Justice”?

Note: With Pam Bondi in charge as U.S. attorney general, it is no longer the United States DOJ, it is now an extension of the Trump administration, charged with shielding and protecting one man from any and all accusations of corruption.

What could possibly go wrong with our voter data records?For starters, Trump wouldn’t know the truth if he ran it down with the presidential limo.

LaRose created a horrendous lie in November 2024 when he crafted ballot language for State Issue I, (the anti-gerrymandering initiative) that purposefully misled voters to vote against what they wanted to happen. Ohio Republicans celebrated the outcome.Trump is hell-bent on suppressing “free and fair” voting because he fears losing his power, (and administrative protection from prosecution) to a likely Democrat landslide in congressional elections this November.

LaRose understands Trump’s fear and hopes to position himself favorably for some future state or, better yet, federal political appointment.

So why not submit to the demand to turn over our personal information contained in the voter records?The best and only necessary reason I can think of is that the U.S. Constitution mandates that elections are run at the state level BY the states, NOT the federal government. So, regardless of what Pam Bondi says, (and who could doubt her motives?) Ohio’s voter data is no damn business of the federal government.Sadly, unlike election officials in Washington D.C. and 29 other states, LaRose does not have the courage or the character to stand up for us and say: “Hell no!” And he wants us to make him Ohio auditor? Hell NO! Jeff Reeder, Columbus

DeWine creating unnecessary chaos for my business

As a local craft brewer, I was deeply disappointed by the governor’s recent line-item veto of Ohio Senate Bill 56’s THC-infused beverage timeline.

Ohio restaurants and breweries, like mine, explored this market, responded to changing consumer demand and invested in order to responsibly and safely produce our low-dose hemp-derived THC beverages.

The line-item veto pulled the rug out from underneath our businesses and unnecessarily punishes state-licensed operators who have operated within the law.

The 180-day timeline originally included in Senate Bill 56 gave businesses time to sell through inventory, striking a reasonable balance between regulation and economic fairness, and allowed for future discussions on commonsense regulation.

The line-item veto forces us to eliminate product by mid-March, months earlier than expected and will create unnecessary chaos, financial losses and wasted product.

This sudden change has real consequences for small business owners, especially in an economy where margins are already tight.

I urge the Ohio General Assembly to override the governor’s line-item veto on SB 56. Doing so would restore the original timeline and respect the businesses like mine that followed the rules.

Collin Castore, Seventh Son Brewing Co., Columbus

Nice work if you can get it

JobsOhio seems to be involved with the resignation of former Ohio State President Ted Carter.

On that topic, we are guaranteed to hear more. What I want to know is how do I get a job with THEM?

I know they all make a lot of money for themselves with VERY large salaries. Exactly how large? Who pays for it? How many jobs have they actually created? What are those salaries?

Please investigate.

Syd Lifshin, Columbus

Wexner wasn’t duped

Re “Guilt by association is not a crime,” Feb. 25: I don’t necessarily disagree with writer Bary Alan Leeman about Les Wexner being duped. He became too full of himself and overthrew a years-long trusted accountant for the high-flying life of Jeffrey Epstein.

However, he covered up a multimillion-dollar theft to save face. How many of us can afford to do that?

Just think if he had sued Epstein. Perhaps a hundred young women might have been saved from the trauma that Epstein and Ghislaine exposed them to.

Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Wexner BOTH used virtually the same words to describe their trips with their families to Epstein Island. We were cruising the Caribbean with our families and just stopped by for an hour for lunch.

Libby Wetherholt, Columbus

Keep ICE on the hook

With the initiation of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, coverage of mmigration and Customs Enforcementactivities has been quite limited recently.

But now is the time to be razor-focused on ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security funding bill pending in the U.S. Senate is the best vehicle to force needed operational changes and safeguards at ICE — prevent another Minneapolis!

Don’t let the White House’s strategy of “flooding the zone” — putting so many issues out there you lose focus on other important issues — distract you from a key issue here at home that needs to be resolved: the goals and operations of ICE agents and leadership.

Kristi Noem was dismissed as DHS Cabinet Secretary last week. But her dismissal DOES NOT negate the need for procedural/operational changes at ICE — changes broadly supported by the American public. These changes would require ICE agents to wear badges and name tags, do away with masks, obtain judicial warrants for arrests or home entry, end racial profiling, downgrade ICE garb from military combat to law enforcement, and focus on violent criminals rather than undocumented immigrants.

To get these safeguards, you need to immediately contact your U.S. representative and senators and insist for their inclusion in the final DHS funding bill.

Marty Kress, Columbus

We are the new Russia

U.S. leaders knew Iran was no military threat to us. They still acted as if the bombing of another country for their oil and land was a must for defending the U.S.

This nation is now emulating the Russian invasion of other countries to take over their lands and resources.

When asked if there were any limits on his international power, President Donald Trump told the New York Times, “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” Trump said, “I don’t need international law.”

A Republican leader, Senator Lindsey Graham, remarked about bombing Iran, “We are going to make a ton of money. … Venezuela and Iran have 31% of the world’s oil reserves. … This is a good investment.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, when asked if the demolition of Iran was an opportunity more than an imminent threat, replied, “I think much of that discussion is silly and academic.”

The daunting questions now are: Who and what justifies the sending of U.S. military troops to invade and blow up a country? Do we recognize the sovereignty of nations? Do we send military troops to take over resources and land because we want them?

Wonder what World War II soldiers would think?

Jean Gawronski, Powell

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Ohio

Ohio State’s Ryan Day sought NFL experience in offensive coordinator

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State’s Ryan Day sought NFL experience in offensive coordinator

When Ohio State coach Ryan Day hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator in January, it mirrored a staffing move from the previous offseason.

He found a coordinator with a deep NFL background

Smith had been in the league for more than a decade, rising through the ranks from a quality control coach to head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

It was a similar path to Matt Patricia, who made a splash in his first year as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator after a long career as an assistant and head coach in the NFL.

The immediate success of Patricia, who kept the Buckeyes as the top-ranked defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2025 despite heavy roster attrition, offered a blueprint for the other side of the ball with Day leaning into a CEO-style role leading the program.

“It allows me an opportunity to kind of step away,” Day said, “and really dive in everything else and be more present in the building with players, staff, and certainly with the NIL stuff and raising money. It’s a different mindset.”

Day first hired an established play-caller for his offense when the Buckeyes won the national championship in 2024, bringing in his coaching mentor Chip Kelly as the coordinator.

Kelly also had four years of experience in the NFL between head-coaching stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. But he had not gone directly from the league to Ohio State, having spent six seasons coaching UCLA in the immediate years before his move to Columbus.

As Day considered Smith in his latest coordinator search, he valued his postseason experience. In each of Smith’s four years as an offensive coordinator between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans, the teams made the playoffs, including the Titans’ appearance in the AFC championship game in 2019.

The expansion of the College Football Playoff has put a premium on teams peaking at the right time in December and January, requiring them to play as many as 16 or 17 games, approaching the length of the NFL’s 18-week, 17-game regular season.

“We’re trying to build an identity that carries throughout the entire season,” Day said. “When you have somebody like Arthur who has been through playoff games and played through a long season in the NFL, you have to build toward the end of the season. That’s the goal for us, because when you think about the way things are structured now, you’ve got to be building toward the end of the season.”

The Buckeyes hit a wall down the stretch last year. After finishing the regular season with an unbeaten record, they lost consecutive games to Indiana in the Big Ten championship and Miami in the playoff quarterfinals to end the year.

In two postseason losses, the Buckeyes, who averaged 37 points per game during the regular season, totaled just 24 points.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.

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Far fewer Ohio women could vote if top election officer gets way | Opinion

Published

2 days ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Far fewer Ohio women could vote if top election officer gets way | Opinion

The SAVE acronym should stand for Suppress American Votes Everywhere.

Richard Topper
| Guest Columnist

A proposed bill in the U.S. Senate, the SAVE Act, would require citizens to present a birth certificate or passport to register to vote.
Richard Topper argues this could prevent thousands of Ohioans from voting, particularly those who move, change their names, or lack access to these documents.

Richard Topper has been a trial attorney in Columbus for 45 years and is actively involved in voting rights efforts.

As chief election officer of our state, Frank LaRose should be focused equally, if not more, on how election laws affect Ohio citizens’ rights to vote as he does to the miniscule numbers of undocumented citizens who attempted to vote in our elections.

To support our right to vote, LaRose, a Republican candidate for Ohio auditor of state, should speak out against the SAVE Act pending before the U.S. Senate.

The SAVE acronym should stand for Suppress American Votes Everywhere.

The bill would require all U.S. citizens to present a birth certificate or passport in person when they register to vote. The act could prevent thousands of Ohio citizens from participating in a single election.

The number far outweighs the 167 noncitizens whom, according to LaRose, “have appeared to cast a ballot in (over 15 elections) since 2018.”

How will the Save Act affect you?

Let’s say you’ve lived and worked in Ohio all your life but decide to move.

To vote, you’d have to re-register in person at your county board of elections and show them your birth certificate or passport. If you have neither, you will be unable to vote.

For Ohioans who’ve changed their name due to marriage or remarriage, it becomes even more difficult to prove your citizenship with a birth certificate.

This will affect Ohio women’s right to vote, since 70% change their name when they marry.

Every person who wants to vote in Ohio for the first time, who moves to Ohio, or who moves within the state will need to have a birth certificate or passport to vote.

In 2023, close to 1.2 million Ohioans moved within or to Ohio. Under the SAVE Act, every one of those Ohioans is considered a non-citizen until they prove otherwise.

Not everyone has or can get access to a birth certificate.

An argument that sinks

A study by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement showed over 9% of voting-age citizens, or 21.3 million people in the U.S., cannot timely obtain a birth certificate or passport. In fact, only 37% of Ohioans own a U.S. passport.

The argument that too many non-citizens vote holds no water.

In 2024, Secretary LaRose required poll workers to challenge voters whose driver license read “non-citizen.”

Of the 5,851,387 people who cast ballots in 2024, only five alleged non-citizens attempted, but were not able to vote that day. One in a million. Nationwide, the figures are similar.

Kansas legislators tried their own SAVE Act. The 67 non-citizens who registered to vote paled in comparison to the 31,000 Kansans who were denied their right to vote.

Ohioans need Frank LaRose to take a stand

LaRose should focus his attention on what the SAVE Act requires and how this will affect the average Ohioan.

In the past five years in his chief election officer position, LaRose decried costly and non-participatory August elections, then supported an August 2023 election that would have taken Ohioans’ longstanding right to amend our constitution by a majority.

He also voted in favor of unconstitutional gerrymandered Ohio legislative and Congressional districts which diminished the votes of 45% of Ohioans.

Recently, LaRose bowed to the Trump administration and supported an Ohio law which would nullify up to 7,000 legitimate Ohio mail-in ballots received during the four-day grace period after election day.

LaRose can redeem himself by supporting Ohio voters and taking a bold step to speak out against the voter suppressive SAVE Act.

Richard Topper has been a trial attorney in Columbus for 45 years and is actively involved in voting rights efforts.

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