Incumbent Commissioner Cindy Carpenter did not seek the endorsement, according to Butler County GOP Executive Chairman Todd Hall, who said that is not “unusual” for her.
Hall said the committee generally takes two votes in a contested race, and to win the endorsement the candidate must receive 60% of the votes. It took one vote, and Hall said for Ryan to garner 71% was “absolutely massive, I think everybody’s jaw dropped after the voting.”
“The party spoke in huge, mass numbers in my opinion, percentage-wise with overwhelming huge support for Michael Ryan as county commissioner,” Hall told the Journal-News. “There was definitely something historic that day and the historic was that he put up 71% in the first round of voting. In Butler County on a contested race 71% right out the gate, that shows you that the Butler County Republican Party was ready to support, get behind Michael Ryan and get him into the next spot of commissioner.”
Hall said the screening committee gave Ryan a “highly recommended” rating and Reynolds “recommended” but “recommended and highly recommended is like night and day and that’s why the vote came out 71%.”
He said after the meeting it took him about an hour to secure $100,000 in campaign contributions for Ryan, “there’s that much support, there’s that much passion for Michael Ryan to be the commissioner, ethics, morals, values, experience, he’s the total package.”
Ryan, a former Hamilton city councilman, eschewed another run for city council last spring, announcing he would challenge Carpenter for the seat she has held since 2011. Reynolds entered the race last summer, although neither he nor Carpenter have filed their petitions yet. Feb. 4 is the deadline.
Neither Carpenter nor Reynolds could be reached for comment. Ryan expressed gratitude for the support.
“I am so grateful to have earned the support of the Butler County Republican Party,” he said. “So grateful that they believe in my vision for Butler County, that they believe in my vision and plan that will help our cities, townships and villages and they believe in my leadership to deliver conservative values and principles that we hold dear.”
Ryan has attacked the reputations of both of his opponents, accusing them of “abusing their office, intimidating private citizens, and using their positions to benefit themselves.”
He issued a news release in early December calling for Carpenter’s resignation following an investigation of alleged misconduct after a dispute with employees at her granddaughter’s apartment complex in Oxford. Carpenter could be seen on video giving an obscene gesture in the lobby of the building and the employees accused her of “blatantly racist, hostile and threatening” behavior.
After an investigation, the county prosecutor ultimately found no legal wrong-doing by Carpenter.
Ryan also raised Reynolds’ legal troubles that prompted his departure from elected office in the release. Reynolds’ attorney issued a “cease and desist” notice warning a lawsuit could be filed if Ryan continues to make “false and defamatory” statements. Nothing has been filed in court to-date.
Prompted by a civil lawsuit filed by Gerald Parks in September 2021, Reynolds was indicted in February 2022 on five counts for bribery and leveraging his public office to further his own interests on charges related to trying to help his family develop land in Liberty and West Chester townships.
A third felony was added that July for him allegedly asking Lakota Schools officials to use $750,000 of the unspent fees he routinely returned to taxing bodies each year for a golf academy at Four Bridges Golf Course, where his family lived.
In December 2022, a jury found no fault on the development claims, but Reynolds was found guilty on the Lakota charge.
By law, Reynolds could no longer serve as auditor with a felony on his record. He vacated the office after the guilty verdict. The Ohio Supreme Court exonerated him by refusing to overturn a 12th District Court of Appeals ruling he was blameless.
GOP Executive Director Joe Statzer told the Journal-News the vote clearly shows the party is tired of the negativity.
“The vibe of the room was to me and the feeling sitting there was the party wants to put the negative headlines and the disruption of the past behind us,” Statzer said. “We wanted this new, fresh, very talented, exceptional young man to be the future of our party and think about unity moving forward.”
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