The Supreme Court on Thursday shut down an attempt by Samuel Ronan, a longtime liberal Democrat, to force his way onto the Republican primary ballot for a congressional seat from Ohio.
The justices, in a brief order, refused Mr. Ronan’s request that state election officials be ordered to add his name.
Mr. Ronan had rushed to the high court with an emergency petition earlier this week, accusing Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose of foiling democracy by keeping him off the ballot.
Mr. Ronan said that despite his 2017 run for chair of the Democratic National Committee and past association with far-left causes, he was being honest and sincere in now saying he ascribes to the principles of the GOP.
“Ronan’s campaign is a good faith attempt to win over Republican voters by advocating his values — values he believes Democrats have forsaken,” his lawyers told the justices in the request to get him back on the ballot.
But Mr. LaRose, who made the final decision to boot him off the ballot, said it was clear Mr. Ronan was trying to punk the primary process.
“Mr. Ronan’s public statements, and those of individuals associated with him and his candidacy, make clear that Mr. Ronan is seeking the Republican nomination as part of his longstanding strategy to have Democrats run as Republicans in Republican primaries,” Mr. LaRose concluded.
Mr. Ronan, for example, posted to social media calling on “leftists” to “infiltrate” Republican primaries.
A state voter had filed a protest challenging his appearance on the primary ballot.
The case pitted Mr. Ronan’s claims of First Amendment rights against the state’s law that gives parties wide leeway in picking who runs under their banner. In this instance, that included swearing to the GOP’s pledge, required of candidates, that they are members of the party and abide by the party’s principles.
Lower courts had rejected Mr. Ronan’s demand to appear on the GOP ballot, saying his conversion from Democrat to Republican did not appear to be “in good faith.”
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court said the state was on solid legal ground removing Mr. Ronan not because he wasn’t Republican enough, but because his own speech undercut his sworn statement of fealty to the GOP.
“The good-faith requirement prevents a candidate from running a sham election in which he self-identifies as a Democrat but tells voters that he is a Republican, or vice versa,” a three-judge panel concluded. “That restriction does not prevent Ronan from voting, supporting candidates, endorsing candidates, running for office, or even switching parties. The only requirement is that he switch parties truthfully.”
The Supreme Court did not issue an opinion detailing the justices’ reasoning for rejecting Mr. Ronan’s last-ditch appeal.
