01/06/2023

Ohio Republican Party Passes Resolution Condemning Lawmakers over Bipartisan Vote

The resolution relates to 22 lawmakers' votes over the new speaker

The Ohio Republican Party has voted to condemn newly-elected Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens and the other 21 Republican House members who joined with minority Democrats to elect him to his position earlier this week.

The Ohio Republican Party's central committee overwhelmingly approved a censure resolution against the 22 Republicans. The move communicates the committee’s displeasure with the group of lawmakers, according newly chosen state party Chairman Alex Triantafilou. But before the vote, the party removed language that would have made the group ineligible for endorsements or future party support.

The party overwhelmingly approved the resolution, which was drafted ahead of a state GOP leadership vote on Friday, in a voice vote, with only a few dissenters. (Scroll to the bottom of this story to view the resolution, or click here for a PDF.) The development underscores the divisions within the Republican Party that remain following this week's vote to elect Stephens over Rep. Derek Merrin, a Toledo-area Republican who won a closed-door caucus vote in November. Merrin got 42 Republican votes this week to Stephens’s 22. But all 32 minority Democrats voted for Stephens.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Cleveland Plain Dealer.