Ohio Supreme Court to hear Board of Elections case

IRONTON -- The Ohio Supreme Court will hear evidence in the case about the decision by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, not to allow Mary "Sis" Wipert serve as a Republican member on the Lawrence County Board of Elections.

The Lawrence County Republican Executive Committee agreed earlier this year to file suit against Brunner when she refused to accept Wipert, a longtime director of the board, to serve on the board overseeing county elections. The board has two Democratic and two Republican members. When Dick Meyers' term on the board ended, local Republicans unanimously selected Wipert for the post.

However, Brunner ignored the appointment and subsequently named Carl Lilly to the post.

"I was hoping the Supreme Court would hear it," Wipert said Thursday. "The state is ignoring the county Republican party. This is good for my party and myself."

Brigham Anderson, an Ironton lawyer representing Wipert and the local Republican executive committee, said the ruling was good news. He's already taken several depositions in the case, including one from Brunner. Wipert will give a deposition next week in Ironton.

"They gave us a scheduling order," Anderson said. The order gives him 20 days to submit evidence in the case and then Brunner will have until June 6 to respond, he said.

At that point, the state Supreme Court could issue a ruling or set it for oral arguments. "The bottom line is they're going to hear our evidence," he said. "That's encouraging. I feel once the court hears it, I feel they'll decide she abused her discretion (by not appointing Wipert)."

Wipert was among several Republic appointments Brunner refused to make on county boards of elections. Suits have been filed by Lawrence County and Summitt County, Anderson said.