Overview
- The Supreme Court, which denied emergency relief Thursday, left in place Ohio’s decision blocking Samuel Ronan from the Republican ballot in the 15th District race against Rep. Mike Carey.
- Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose removed Ronan after the Franklin County Board of Elections deadlocked, acting on a protest that cited Ronan’s posts and interviews urging Democrats to run as Republicans in deep-red districts.
- Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison earlier rejected Ronan’s First Amendment claim, ruling that free speech does not protect a candidate who swears to a party affiliation that his public statements directly contradict.
- Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred Ronan’s emergency bid to the full Court, which denied it without explanation, and no justice publicly noted a dissent.
- LaRose framed the move as safeguarding election integrity and called for a closed primary system, while Ohio law currently requires candidates to swear party membership even though voters can pick a party ballot without prior registration.