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County GOP still at odds after ruling; Randy Law is still chairman

COLUMBUS — Randy Law remains chairman of the Trumbull County Republican Party, but some members who want to see him gone are claiming victory after the state party ruled local party bylaw changes he made are not legitimate and members of the executive committee he cast off should be reinstated.

Members of the Ohio Republican Party state central committee met Friday in Columbus to settle the local party dispute, but Law’s days as chairman still may be numbered.

Kevin Wyndham, the man some members of the party want to be chairman, said Law’s position in the post is “temporary” and promised an executive committee meeting will be called to try to vote Law out.

“We have considerably more than five people ready to call the meeting, whether he does or doesn’t, as we are calling a special meeting for his removal as chair. We were going to wait until he called the meeting to elect the BOE (Trumbull County Board of Elections) seat, but if he delays, our meeting may occur first,” Wyndham said.

The local party tried to remove Law once already, by a central committee vote on Jan. 31, but the state party ruled the vote should have come from executive committee members.

Law said the only way he can be removed is if he is unable to perform his duties, and that is not the case. Law contends he can’t be removed because some members of the party don’t like him.

“I respect the ruling and the others should too. We need to move forward. I will take a look at what (the state party) wants us to do. Hopefully we can move forward and think about getting some Republicans elected,” Law said.

Meanwhile, who will fill a Republican spot on the Trumbull County Board of Elections remains undecided.

State party Chairwoman Jane Timken requested the local party meet immediately to nominate someone to be considered by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, but Law claims the five-day meeting notice requirement in the bylaws cannot be met before the new elections board term begins on Wednesday.

Law or five members of the nearly 60-person executive committee can call the meeting.

If a meeting comes together, Law said he hopes the party comes together to support him. Law nominated himself after an executive committee meeting Feb. 11 to vote on a recommendation for the board was shut down by police. Other members of the party nominated Kathi Creed, former party chairwoman, to continue serving on the four-person bipartisan board.

Neither nomination was legitimate, so one must be resubmitted to Husted for approval. If that doesn’t happen by Wednesday, Husted will appoint someone, according to his Communications Director Matthew McClellan.

Before the meeting got underway, both sides had a chance to talk to resolve the issues, but when that didn’t happen, the state party’s policy committee convened and examined the issues.

The state party determined bylaws approved in 2013 should be followed because the party voted against Law’s proposed changes in 2015. Also, when Law moved to enact the changes at a meeting last year, they were not on the agenda and he pushed ahead despite party members rejecting them.

Also, the state ruled Law is chairman because party members didn’t follow proper procedure for his removal, and he had no authority to remove members of the executive committee.

rfox@tribtoday.com

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