Boggs needs help to get on ballot as write-in
State Rep. Kristin Boggs, D-Columbus, will need help from Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted in order to qualify to run as a writein candidate for the May primary.
The same goes for two other Democrats trying to make the ballot in Franklin County — Nathan Dowds of Gahanna, a potential candidate for the 3rd Senate District, and James Robinson, who wants to run for county auditor.
All three made their case Thursday to the Franklin County Board of Elections as to why they should be permitted to appear on the ballot, or, in Boggs’ case, run as a write-in.
In all three cases, the board split 2-2 along party lines, with Republicans Doug Preisse and Brad Sinnott voting to keep them off the ballot and Democrats Michael Sexton and Kimberly Marinello voting to allow them on.
Husted’s responsibility is to break county election board tie votes. Within the next 14 days, each side in the disputes will file briefs with Husted’s office arguing their points.
Boggs is attempting to run as a write-in candidate after she forgot to sign some of her petitions and withdrew her candidacy for re-election. Legislative candidates need 50 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, but failing to sign the petitions invalidates the signatures.
House Republicans have said Boggs cannot withdraw and then attempt to run for the same seat. Boggs has said that because she withdrew before the board formally acted on her petitions, she was OK to run as a write-in.
Senate Republicans fought to keep Dowds off the ballot. He is someone Democrats hoped could pose a serious challenge in one of the state’s few competitive Senate districts, but he had a handful of problems with his petitions that led him to come up two signatures short of 50. Robinson also failed to get 50 certified signatures.