A record 35 candidates are on the ballot for nine seats on Cincinnati City Council. The Ohio Secretary of State this week broke a tie vote on the two latest candidates: Democrat Te'Airea Powell and Republican Tom Brinkman.
The board split 2-2 on petitions for Brinkman, who is currently a state representative, and Powell. Both had missing dates on some of their petitions.
Republicans on the board say substantial compliance is all that is required and technicalities such as missing dates on part petitions don't invalidate the whole petition. The two Democrats say they have disqualified people in the past for missing dates on part petitions and the board should be consistent.
The board met a second time to consider affidavits from petition circulators (two for Brinkman and one for Powell) swearing to the validity of the signatures. Despite the new evidence, the board again voted 2-2, sending the cases to the Ohio Secretary of State for a tie-breaking decision.
Republican Linda Matthews did not request reconsideration after the board rejected her petitions; she fell short of the 500-signature requirement.
Matthews is one of four Republican-endorsed candidates for council. The other three on the ballot are all currently serving on council: Betsy Sundermann and interim members Liz Keating and Steve Goodin.
Longtime former council member Charlie Winburn — a Republican who's been serving as interim county treasurer — qualified for the ballot to run again, but Winburn says he will withdraw.
The Board also voted to certify a petition-driven charter amendment to the ballot. Brinkman circulated the petitions for his multi-part charter amendment, which includes such provisions as lowering council members' salary and creating a process for recalling the mayor.
