In a recent letter issued from the Cincinnati Solicitor’s Office, it appears the City has cracked open both the definition of a political party and what it takes to sit on the Cincinnati Election Commission (CEC). Earlier this year, I filed a complaint with the CEC, indicating that the word “organization” had no legal definition in Cincinnati’s Charter. The fact suggested any “organization” that had endorsed a candidate receiving five percent of the vote qualified as a “political party” in the City of Cincinnati (which would mean that an “organization” could create a political party by just endorsing a likely winner, thereby increasing their fundraising limits next cycle—think the Lindner Party, for an example of potential abuse). In trying to sidestep this potentially cumbersome situation, the City of Cincinnati issued a preliminary opinion on my complaint which may have unwittingly outlined membership in the CEC as now open to several organizations who do not even know they qualify as a “political party.”
In other words, any organization who endorsed a winning candidate may be able to join the CEC. A cursory examination turns up the following groups which may now qualify as political parties: AFL-CIO, Firefighters, Sierra Club, FOP, Sentinels, Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce, and everybody’s favorite—COAST.
Now that COAST is a political party, one of their members qualifies for a seat on the CEC—based on the language from the letter which states that membership on the CEC shall include one member from each party affiliated with a current member of Council or the Mayor. So, unless the councilmembers wish to deny their affiliation with these groups that have endorsed them, it looks like a big crack just appeared in this weird system.
Put another way, unless Chris Monzel wishes to deny his affiliation with COAST, it looks like Christopher Finney now gets a seat on the Cincinnati Elections Commission—should he so desire one.
Thank you for reading (and printing from) The Cincinnati Beacon.
Photo courtesy of