WARREN — A second Republican with interest in occupying a seat on the Trumbull County Board of Elections has surfaced.

A submission to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s Office on Tuesday — the deadline for local political parties in Ohio to provide a recommendation for terms that begin March 1 — was to recommend Randy Law, chairman of the Trumbull County Republican Party.

Meanwhile, a dispute in the local party over who is in control will be dealt with when the Ohio Republican Party state central committee meets Feb. 24 in Columbus.

“A chairman will be decided at that meeting,” said state party communications director Blaine Kelly.

Some local Republicans no longer see Law as the legitimate chairman of the party after 49 members of the party voted Jan. 31 to remove him and treasurer Debbie Roth from their positions. Law, however, claims the meeting was illegitimate because he said only he and the party’s 1st Vice Chairman John Blue can chair a meeting, among other reasons.

A week later, Republicans voted to recommend to Husted to keep former local party chairwoman Kathi Creed, 67, on the elections board. Creed was defeated by Law for local party leadership in 2014.

Paperwork submitted to Husted’s office recommending Creed for the seat shows Robert W. Davis signed as chairman and “acting” was written in beside the signature line. The secretary signature belongs to Martha Yoder, who is in a legal battle with Law over whether he has the authority to remove her from the post, which Law claims he did in May.

The submission for Law came without a vote of the party’s executive committee, that according to Husted’s office, must meet and file the recommendation.

Law, 55, said he was told by the office to submit the form with a letter explaining what happened Saturday and a copy of the party’s bylaws. A meeting was scheduled then to determine a recommendation for the elections board, but was ended by Warren Township police when Law’s supporters and those who oppose him claimed they were pushed and shoved as they tried to enter the Johnson Community Center.

“I did what I was told to do,” Law said.

Law signed the paperwork as chairman and signing as secretary was Deborah Bowles.

Members of the four-person bipartisan board earn $14,652 a year and attend at least one meeting a month. They do not receive benefits.

On Monday, the Trumbull County Democratic Party recommended board Chairman Mark Alberini serve four more years. Husted must confirm the recommendations.

rselak@tribtoday.com