Former Trump adviser picked to lead Ohio GOP
The Ohio Republican Party has elected Bob Paduchik as its next chair Friday, succeeding Jane Timken who resigned last month.
The Ohio Republican Party elected Bob Paduchik, a political operative and former Republican National Committeman, as its next chair Friday, succeeding Jane Timken who resigned last month.
Paduchik won the support of the state central committee and was the heavy favorite going into Friday’s meeting, securing an endorsement from former President Donald Trump earlier this week. Paduchik replaces Timken, who left her post in January to run for retiring GOP U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s seat.
Paduchik is a longtime political operative with a record of winning races. That includes two successful Ohio campaigns for former Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump each. He has also lobbied for several high-profile bills in the state, including House Bill 6, the nuclear bailout bill.
“For the last 35 years, I have devoted my life to carrying out conservative principals on the state and national level,” Paduchik said in a statement. “As a strong ally of President Trump, I look forward to leading the party through these coming years.”
His only competition was John Becker, a former state representative known as one of the most conservative members in the caucus. He left office in 2020 due to term limits.
Paduchik said he wanted to focus on having stronger showings in judicial races, using ORP as a service organization and increasing outreach from the Republican Party into urban areas — where Trump made some inroads during the 2020 election.
Paduchik also said he wouldn’t take a stance on party endorsements, which has become a hot topic during the past couple months as conservatives grow increasingly frustrated with Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The more conservative wing of the party, including Becker, have criticized the governor for mitigation methods such as shutdowns and mask mandates, feeling it has irreparably harmed the state’s economy.
“The party can and, at times, chooses to endorse,” Paduchik said. “I do not have an opinion on that for the committee. That is the committee’s decision to make.”
Some controversy amongst members broke out when executive committee members moved to go into executive session to ask the chair candidates questions. Some of the rank-and-file central committee members weren’t pleased with that, feeling it gave the election process a sense of secrecy.
Several members wondered if it would even be legal, given the state’s open records laws.
“I thought we were an open body. I thought we were here to elect a chairman openly,” said Keith Cheney, Allen County Republican Party chairman. “I know that Mr. Paduchik and Mr. Becker are here. I don’t believe either one of them would have a problem addressing this committee, making their presentation, as Mr. Borges and Mrs. Timken did during their election.”
After taking up most of the first hour of the meeting, the central committee voted down going into executive session.