Republican Central Committee races see influx

TIFFIN — With voters soon heading to the polls for the 2026 primary, the seat for male representative for the District 26 Republican Central Committee is being contested, as well as a number of county level central committee seats. The Advertiser-Tribune reached out via email to each district central committee candidate and each county level candidate for whom an email address was available, requesting responses to a series of questions regarding the races and the responsibilities of winning a seat on a committee. For the District 26 Republican Central Committee, incumbent Fred Vogel is being challenged by Justin Smith and Charles Knight. The district seat currently held by Susan Platt is not being challenged. By press time, only Smith had responded to the A-T's email request. The questions submitted by the A-T and Smith's answers are as follows. Q: What specifically differentiates your platform and leadership style from your two opponents, and what wing of the party do you believe you are best positioned to represent? A: I am a conservative Republican who will work to represent all wings of the Republican Party. My goal is to see the Ohio Republican Party support conservative values. As the longest serving county Republican Chair in the 26th Senate District, I offer years of experience working with all Republicans to support our common goals. Q: The State Central Committee holds significant power in endorsing candidates for statewide office (like Governor or U.S. Senate) ahead of competitive primaries. What specific criteria will you use to determine who gets the state party's official backing, and do you believe the committee should endorse in contested primaries at all? A: I generally oppose the party making pre-primary endorsements unless there is a dire need to do so. I believe the state party should stay neutral in most primaries and prepare to unite the party after a competitive primary election. Q: A primary function of the state party is allocating resources and funding to win elections. If elected, how will you advocate for balancing the state party's budget between defending safe incumbent seats versus investing heavily in challenging competitive districts? A: As a local party chairman, I have made difficult funding choices and will generally support extra funding for competitive races. While we must never abandon any Republican candidate even in safe districts, we must prioritize competitive districts for more funding. Q: While you are running for a state-level position, you are elected to represent our specific district. How will you ensure that the unique economic and social needs of our local communities aren't overshadowed by the broader statewide party platform? A: I am running for Republican State Central Committeeman because of my years of experience as a county chairman. If elected to the State Central Committee I will be an activist for the 26th district and making sure the Republican Party is present and active in Sandusky, Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford, Marion, Morrow and Union counties. County-level races Locally, a high number of county level central committee races are being contested in the May primary. They include: Fostoria 1-A, incumbent James Ehrman vs. Veronica Lee Cooper; Fostoria 1-B, Bryon Nonnemaker vs. Barbara Patterson vs. Logan Shackleford; Fostoria 4-A, Incumbent Charles Knight vs. Tara Smith; Fostoria 4-B, Melvin Clagg vs. Carol Schalk; Tiffin 1-B, Incumbent Denise Stephens vs. Kade Rowe vs. Charles Boyer; Tiffin 2-A, incumbent Adams Engle vs. Logan Wolph; Tiffin 2-C, incumbent Daryl McDonald vs. Patricia Woods; Tiffin 3-A, incumbent Mark Paul Leahy vs. Thomas Turco; Tiffin 3-B, incumbent Glenn Ardner vs. Jon Lamont Aldrich; Tiffin 3-D, incumbent Harvey Yocom vs. Robin Reaves; Tiffin 4-A, Brian Cole vs. Kyle Daugherty; Tiffin 4-B, incumbent David Koehl vs. Tyler Shuff; Tiffin 4-C, incumbent Brian Courtney vs. Brian Wesley Ferguson; Tiffin 4-D, incumbent Carol Coffman vs. Ryan Monahan; Big Spring Township, incumbent Duane Alt vs. Allen Weinandy; Clinton A, incumbent Christopher Widman vs. Dawn Bour; Clinton B, incumbent Pauline Hess vs. James Cholodewitsch; Clinton C, Bradley Newman vs. Gregory Allen Slosser; Clinton D, incumbent Debora Wilkinson vs. Sandra Hallett; Eden North, incumbent James Cline vs. Cary Lee Theis; Hopewell A, incumbent Ronald Burns vs. Edward Nugent; Hopewell B, incumbent Sarah Bolte vs. Charles Zoeller, Sr.; Hopewell C, incumbent Lori Brickner vs. Juanita Ruth Stiverson; Bettsville Village, incumbent Linda Davis vs. Kyle Below; Loudon South, incumbent Susan Platt vs. write in candidate; Liberty A, Bradley Adelsperger vs. Dwight Clary; Loudon North, incumbent Clay Wesley Wolph vs. Cheri Feindel; Republic Village, incumbent Michael Oberlander vs. Tanya Hemmer; Thompson Township, incumbent Deborah Hay vs. Zachary Adams; Attica Village, Keith Hopple vs. Dorothy Treft. Candidates with available email addresses were asked the following questions: With an unprecedented number of Republican Central Committee races this cycle, there is clearly a renewed focus on the local party's infrastructure. What specific event, trend, or concern motivated you to run for the committee at this particular moment? Central Committees hold significant power in shaping the party, from making pre-primary endorsements to appointing officials to vacant seats. How do you view the primary role of the Central Committee, and do you believe it should heavily influence competitive Republican primaries? When a large influx of new voices enters party leadership, disagreements on strategy and platform are inevitable. If elected, how will you handle internal divisions, and what is your strategy for ensuring the local party remains unified for the general elections? Beyond national talking points, the Central Committee focuses on local governance. What is the single most pressing issue facing our county right now, and how should the local Republican Party structure its resources to address it? A limited number of candidates responded by press time. Their answers are below. Sarah Bolte I ran for Central Committee because I was asked to bring a practical, experienced voice to the table — and after serving a full term, I see clearly where that's needed. I've spent six years working in Ohio Republican politics at the state and national level, including roles with the Ohio Auditor of State, the Ohio Republican Senate Campaign Committee and a congressional campaign. I also grew up in a family deeply involved in public service, campaigning from a young age. Over the past term, I took time to listen and learn. What became clear is that too much focus has been placed on internal conflict instead of strengthening the party. I'm running again to bring that experience back to the table — to refocus the committee on what matters: organization, discipline and winning elections. The Central Committee's job is to build a strong local Republican Party — recruiting candidates, supporting campaigns and engaging voters. My background in campaign finance and statewide races has shown me that strong parties win elections, and strong parties stay focused. While the committee has authority in endorsements and appointments, those decisions should always be made with the long-term success of the party in mind. In competitive primaries, voters should decide. Our responsibility is to ensure a fair process and to position Republican candidates to win in the general election. In any organization, there will be differences — but they should not prevent progress. Over the past term, I've seen situations where personal agendas and unnecessary conflict have taken priority over the work that actually matters. That approach weakens the party. As someone who has worked in high-level political environments and now runs businesses here in Seneca County, I bring a solutions-focused mindset. My goal is to help mediate disagreements, keep discussions productive, and ensure the committee stays focused on shared priorities. We cannot afford to lose focus over issues that don't matter in the bigger picture. The most pressing issue facing Seneca County is maintaining a strong local economy — supporting small businesses, agriculture and keeping families here. My husband and I own several local businesses and farm here in the county, so this is something I live every day. I understand both the challenges and the opportunities. The Republican Party should align its efforts behind candidates and policies that support economic growth, responsible development, and long-term stability. When our local economy is strong, everything else follows. Clay Wolph I am an incumbent and currently serve on the Republican Central Committee. My motivation to serve is not due to any recent event, since I have a long history of dedication to Seneca County. As a life-long resident and owner of two businesses in this area, I have strong ties to the people of Seneca County. My kids attended Hopewell-Loudon School, and we own the DQ and have owned Wolph Chiropractic Wellness Centers for many years. I play baritone saxophone in the Fostoria Community Band and play for numerous community events. I worked on the Board of Elections as a Poll Manager for several years, and I am currently the President of the Board of Health in Seneca County. My wife and I care deeply about the health and welfare of the community. I believe the following issues are paramount: election integrity and protection of farmland, as well as energy and environmental issues that affect our health and quality of life in the area. I am glad to see so much interest to run for a central committee seat. We want more people to get involved and take an active role in local issues. I am motivated to continue my volunteer work on the central committee and would appreciate the support from the voters in my precinct. I am opposed to the republican party having influence or endorsing candidates in the primaries. We should listen to all candidates and support the winner in November. Unfortunately, the state republican party continues to endorse and give money only to the candidates they select. That is the reason we see the career politicians that serve in various elected positions for over 30 years. I believe my duties in this position are to listen to the local people and bring their concerns to the party leaders, to help fill vacancies by recruiting and supporting great people from the community, and to volunteer my time to support any efforts to get those people in positions to make a positive change in our community. There are 51 seats on the central committee. Having disagreements or different opinions is to be expected. I will be more concerned if we all just rubber stamp everything that is recommended from those higher up the ladder. There are clearly disagreements between some members of the committee, but at the end of the day I believe that we all want what's in the best interest of the local republican party. I am also a strong believer that once a decision is made, we all have to support that decision and speak with one voice. I am sure that after the May 6th election, we will be united to support republicans for the November election. I think I am a person who can work with different opinions and keep an open mind to avoid conflicts and help find resolutions to any internal conflicts. We have a major challenge with the use of our farmland and preservation of our way of life in rural Ohio. I have concerns with regard to outside corporations buying up land and using it for data centers, alternative energy, battery storage and many other concerning land uses. This can lead to a major natural and health disaster for our county and even the state if we don't protect our land, water and air. State and local officials need to think about the people, their property rights, the environment, and the future quality of life of our community — and not just the current financial gains. Progress, profit and economic development must be weighed against the high cost of the risks involved. I believe we should do in-depth risk analysis studies before making these knee-jerk decisions for short-term profit without first considering the long-term consequences. We must work to elect candidates that care about the people more than short-term financial gains. As a doctor, and the president of the Board of Health, I take these matters very seriously. Michael Oberlander My name is Michael Oberlander, and I have held the seat on the Seneca County Republican Central Committee, representing the Village of Republic, precinct 45, for 16 years. I am running for reelection because I like to be involved, listen to views of fellow members, participate in debates, and be a part of the ongoing activities. During the 16 years I have served on the Central Committee, I have a perfect attendance record for evening events, and also have attended all monthly luncheons except one, missed due to a snow storm. I was appointed chair of the monthly luncheons by County Chairman in September 2020, after restaurants were allowed to reopen with the worst of Covid having ended. It is my responsibility to coordinate with Fort Ball Pizza, where all lunches have been held for many years, advise them of meeting dates and times, and advise if a controversial speaker may be present. I also invite guest speakers, and have gotten all three county commissioners, three judges, one education specialist, county auditor, county sheriff, various state representatives and a senator, a US representative, a candidate for Ohio Supreme Court, members of the Board of Elections, the mayor of Tiffin, and others. I am passionate about continuing that role, even though there is no compensation for Central Committee seat holders, and no OPERS benefits. In addition to experience on Central Committee, I have served nine years on Republic Council, three years as community member, and six years of holding voting seat. During one of the six years, the mayor appointed me President Pro Temp of Council. I also have served as an election official, mostly as Voting Location Manager, for well over ten years. The role of the Central Committee is important in representing voters to select candidates for vacant seats on the committee, and to recommend to officials how certain vacancies be filled, such as sheriff and Board of Elections. Since we are all Republicans, there should be relatively few general differences on political issues, but we note some Republicans disagree with others. Working together to reach compromise solutions will help keep the Republican Party in Seneca County unified, and determine for which elections we should endorse candidates and which to provide some funding. We do not consider any one issue as most pressing, and every issue the Committee considers is important. David Kohl We should be building our party for the long term by rewarding volunteers, welcoming regular voters and cultivating future local candidates, not just fund raise at every event. Unfortunately, the national party and some local groups have gone astray from many traditional Republican principles, such as respect for our nation's allies, free trade, and a balanced budget. Instead, they spread fear and division. The local party should recruit and support respectable candidates with consistent values rather than candidates with endlessly shifting policies based on the latest whim of a single individual. All party resources should be available to all party candidates in the primary. Voters should decide the party's candidates, not a small group of insiders. I have always been opposed to the Central Committee endorsing candidates in the primary, even if I have a strong personal preference for a specific individual. I served on the bylaws committee when we set a 75% threshold vote to get a committee endorsement, deliberately high to discourage it. When I was chairman I always offered all primary candidates equal opportunities at any event. Locally, we have spent most of the last 25 years discussing three topics — save the courthouse, wind towers and the landfill. Does any of that give recent graduates a reason to stay here? Since the 1960 census, the nation's population has more than doubled. But Tiffin and Seneca County have both shrunk. Statewide, we had 24 seats in Congress. Now we have only 15. Too many of our officeholders concentrate on hot-button social issues instead of needed local economic development to reverse the population loss. The local party should recruit and support decent candidates to address local and statewide problems, rather than frequently stoking outrage to further divide us. Carol Coffman I am the incumbent and would like to continue to be a part of the Republican Central Committee. It is a valuable part of our local politics, in which I have an interest. I have been a poll worker (voting location manager) for a very long time. I also help with the testing of voting equipment to make sure that it is accurate. That isn't part of a Central Committee person but helps towards understanding the voting process. In the primary, Republicans are running against Republicans. The Central Committee wants the candidate who would be most likely to defeat an opponent from a different party in the general election. However, we need to be careful about endorsing one Republican over another and try to equally support Republican candidates in the same race. We need to be sure to follow our by-laws and remember the main goal of the Central Committee, which is to support our Republican candidates, especially during the General Election. As a member, I try to make sure that any committee seats and public offices are filled by the best replacement available. Issues facing Seneca County are very important, but the Central Committee exists to try to help Republican candidates at all levels. That is how our resources are used, and any fund raising that is done.