Columbus Dem must seek re-election as a write-in
After failing to sign some of her petition forms, state Rep. Kristin Boggs, a Columbus Democrat, was forced to withdraw her candidacy for re-election so she could instead file to run as a writein candidate.
For a brief time, Democrats were without a candidate in the solidly Democratic 18th District that includes Bexley, Franklinton, German Village, Grandview Heights and Ohio State University.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Boggs said she formally filed as a write-in candidate for the May primary election.
“I intend to run a full campaign as a write-in candidate with the support of the Franklin County Democratic Party and the Ohio House Democratic caucus,” Boggs said. “I’m very thankful that we caught this error in a time that it can be cured.”
Boggs, 39, filed four partpetitions that did not have her signature at the top of the pages, so those signatures she collected cannot be counted, said Aaron Sellers, spokesman for the Franklin County Board of Elections. To qualify for the ballot, a legislative candidate must collect 50 valid signatures from voters of the same party or who are independent.
A similar situation in 2014 ended the legislative career of state Rep. Rex Damschroder, a Fremont Republican, when he failed to sign one of his petition forms and was not certified for the ballot. He was unable to run as a write-in himself and instead had his wife run as a writein in his place, with the idea that she would step aside for him in the general election.
But Rhonda Damschroder lost the primary to another write-in candidate, now-Rep. Bill Reineke, R-Fremont.
Boggs said that, based on lawyers she talked to, her situation differs from Damschroder’s because she withdrew before the elections board acted on her petition.
The Franklin County Board of Elections will meet Thursday to certify names for the 2018 primary election.
Write-in filings are due by Feb. 26, so it’s possible Boggs could be forced to run a competitive Democratic primary featuring all writein candidates. Whoever wins the most votes would then be put on the general election ballot as the official Democratic candidate.
Republican David Todd and Green Party candidate Torin Jacobs are expected to run in the 18th House District, assuming they got the required signatures.
“There is nothing more I want to do than to continue serving in the role I have and work on legislation that I think is meaningful to central Ohio,” Boggs said. “I’m terrified of letting people down.”