Seneca County Republican Party calls for removal of David Koehl from Board of Elections

Tiffin, Ohio — The Seneca County Republican Party has taken a significant step by introducing a motion requesting the removal of fellow Republican David Koehl from his position on the Seneca County Board of Elections. The motion requests that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose “summarily remove David Koehl as a member of the Seneca County Board of Elections.”

According to Seneca County GOP Chairman Chris Widman, the motion reflects the frustration of party committee members with Koehl’s actions. “Unfortunately, I believe the committee is frustrated with Mr. Koehl. His actions have been very disappointing to them, and they would like for him to resign,” Widman stated in an email to TiffinOhio.net.

The motion cites several allegations against Koehl, which have led to this call for his removal, including:

• Misappropriation of a Free Ticket: Koehl is accused of misappropriating a free ticket for the Seneca County Lincoln Day Dinner by giving it to a young Democrat instead of a young Republican, as intended. Furthermore, the young Democrat allegedly publicly ridiculed the speakers at the event.
• Disclosure of Party Payments: It is alleged that Koehl publicly disclosed payments made by the Seneca County Republican Party to host Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and expressed concern that the local party would lose money over this choice.
• Vote Against Republican Candidates: Koehl is accused of voting against the legal advice provided by the Seneca County Prosecuting Attorney to invalidate the Republican candidate petitions of Ken Jones and Vickie Wilkins to run for Tiffin City Council. Koehl reportedly voted twice against placing these Republican candidates on the ballot, despite committee members’ objections.
• Position on Issue 1: As chair of the county elections board, Koehl is said to have publicly spoken against Issue 1, which appeared on the Aug. 8 ballot.

The motion argues that Koehl’s actions have created division within the local Republican Party and asserts that his removal is necessary in light of these circumstances.

The vote on the motion saw 22 party members in favor, four opposed, and two abstaining.

In response to these allegations, Koehl has retained attorney Dean Henry to defend his position. In a statement to TiffinOhio.net Friday evening, Koehl said, “I have spoken with attorney Dean Henry, who contacted the Secretary of State’s office this afternoon to pursue a vigorous defense.”

The call for Koehl’s removal marks a significant development within the Seneca County Republican Party and underscores the divisions that have arisen within the party ranks due to these allegations.