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BUTLER COUNTY REPBUBLICAN PARTY

Vote will shape county commission race: 'It's gonna be a nail-biter'

4 challenging Gregory Jolivette for his seat

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 7:07 AM Thursday, November 5, 2009

FAIRFIELD — Three sitting, elected Butler County officials, a former township trustee and an unknown Hamilton resident will go before the county GOP’s executive committee tonight, Nov. 5, all seeking the party’s backing for county commission next year.

It’s the seat that currently belongs to Commissioner Gregory Jolivette. But challenges from fellow Republicans mounted after revelations that Jolivette voted years ago on hiring his son and daughter as county employees.

Although it may be the political machine that controls nearly all countywide seats, the party is far from monolithic.

Big hitters within the party — especially from eastern Butler County — have thrown support behind Jose Alvarez, a former West Chester Twp. trustee.

But party insiders say Jolivette, Treasurer Nancy Nix and Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter each have entrenched supporters.

Then there’s Wes Retherford, whose status as a true outsider has drawn him support from the Cincinnati Tea Party.

As an Ohio Ethics Commission investigation of Jolivette drags on, heated campaigns have wound up in recent weeks as candidates court support from the party’s roughly 525-member executive committee.

That committee will meet behind closed doors at Tori’s Station in Fairfield tonight. There will be five rounds of voting, with the lowest vote-getter eliminated after each round until someone gets 60 percent.

Canididates who lose the endorsement rarely run in the primary.

Jolivette believes the intra-party challenge has a much to do with “vendettas and personal agendas” — stemming from his vote to slash the budgets of other officeholders — as with accusations of nepotism.

He is seeking the endorsement. But based on the support showed for him tonight, he may run even without the party’s nod. “My gut tells me yes, I’m running, but it will take due diligence after tomorrow night,” Jolivette said Wednesday, Nov. 4.

If it gets down to two people, and neither can get 60 percent of the vote, the party goes into the primary with no endorsement. If that happens, the other candidates will also be looking to tonight’s vote to determine if they have enough support to stay in it.

“A lot depends on tomorrow night,” Nix said Wednesday.

The candidates spent Wednesday night brushing up on their speeches and making last-minute calls for support to party members.

It’s the culmination of a full-scale political campaign in miniature, leading up to the Butler County Republican Party executive committee’s vote tonight, Nov. 5, on endorsement for a contested county commission race next year.

The candidates include incumbent county Commissioner Gregory Jolivette, Treasurer Nancy Nix, Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter, former West Chester Twp. trustee Jose Alvarez and Hamilton resident Wes Retherford.

Jolivette said he’s running on his record of keeping local taxes low while attracting jobs to Butler County since he joined the dais in 2004.

“I’m going against some very powerful people who have, I think, made it their agenda to have their revenge on me for making tough budgetary decisions,” he said. “But I have faith in the party and the committee, and I will be there to present my case and my suggestions for the future, and we will take it from there.”

Jolivette has come under fire for voting on the hiring of his son and daughter years ago. The revelation came to light shortly after he voted for heavy-handed cuts to the county’s budget earlier this year.

But he’s not the only one running on his record.

“My sense is I’m the leader in this race, right now,” Carpenter said. “I am the experienced candidate whose experience distinguishes me from the other candidates.”

Specifically, she said her background working with the criminal justice system and human services gives her insight on programs that account for 70 percent of the county’s ailing budget.

Nix’s record includes a term as vice mayor of Middletown and reducing staff in her office — which the party appointed her to clean up after the former treasurer was found guilty of nepotism charges — by 30 percent.

“It’s about qualifications, it’s about the future, it’s about my record and bringing that to the commissioners office,” Nix said.

Alvarez, who served as a trustee from 1995 to 2005, is running on a return to conservative roots campaign.

“We need to convince the voters that we can lead, that the GOP in Butler County can still lead, that the folks are willing to endorse somebody who they have faith in to be above board and have personal integrity,” he said.

And Retherford said he’s running as an outsider, as he put the finishing touches on his speech Wednesday.

“I’m going to hit on the fact that I am a new face, and new blood, something people are asking for,” he said. “The fact that I’m a regular, hard-working citizen that knows what it’s like to struggle with bills, that can relate to people.”

“I think it’s going to be pretty tough tomorrow night, all around. There’s a lot of pulling and pushing for the different candidates and all the candidates have their positive and negative qualities, and there’s a lot of support for each one of them,” Retherford said.

“It’s gonna be a nail-biter all the way down to the end.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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If one were to look at the employment rosters for the county and the city, they would see that what Greg Jolivette is accused of is nothing new. Hiring one's kids has been going on forever - if anything, the Jolivette kids were a bargain - they have the same great work ethic as their Dad. So get off of Greg. We're fortunate to have him even want the job!

merry
5:15 PM, 11/5/2009

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So for jolovette, the republican party and executive committee are only right when they switched he and Combs for jobs and when they indorse him. Other than that they don't know what they are doing or it's a vendetta. Can toy say "Ohio Ethics Commission investigation"

Not A Republican
2:36 PM, 11/5/2009

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I am a little tired of people saying there is a fix when all that happened is people made their mind up early. Cindy keeps telling everybody that there was a backroom deal. Sorry Cindy, but a deal implies something was exchanged. Here, people simply determined that Jose will be the better candidate.

There is nothing wrong with people getting together and deciding to vote for the best person. Isn't that what you tried to do? The only difference is that nobody like you.

Party Woman
2:28 PM, 11/5/2009

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Considering that according to the Board of Elections that registered democrats (53,652) outnumber republicans (52,467) and Independents (130,470) outnumber democrats and republicans together, surely we can put an end to this mess next year by not electing any of this bunch.

Everett
2:19 PM, 11/5/2009

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Surely they must be one democrat who’s successful in business or maybe a township trustee who will step forward and offer us an alternative to which ever clown these nut’s pick for us tonight. I do hope the democrats can come up with someone other than those that have run sacrificial lamb campaigns in the past or someone who we’ve never heard of before.

Independent
2:13 PM, 11/5/2009

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