Franklin County elections board reviewing complaint about prosecutor candidate's residency

Citing reporting by The Dispatch that a Democratic candidate for Franklin County prosecutor owns a house in Delaware County and a Columbus condo, a local community group is calling on the county Board of Elections to investigate where the candidate lives.

A spokesperson for the Franklin County Board of Elections told The Dispatch that the office is reviewing the complaint made by Ramon Obey II, co-founder of the Justice, Unity and Social Transformation (JUST) group, which cites board responsibilities under the Ohio Revised Code. But it is unclear what can be done since the Jan. 5 deadline to protest candidates' petitions has passed.

Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel to retiring Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack, was certified earlier this month to appear on the March 19 primary ballot by the county Board of Elections.

In an emailed comment, a spokesperson for Pierson told The Dispatch: "This is a cheap political stunt to distract from the critical focus of this race, which is having the required experience to be Franklin County’s next Prosecutor."

In his letter to the elections board, Obey repeatedly cited a Dec. 7, 2023, article in The Dispatch, saying it "raised significant concerns regarding the residency of Franklin County Prosecutor candidate Anthony Pierson."

The Dispatch first reported that Pierson owns a house in Lewis Center in Delaware County with his wife in addition to his Columbus condo. Pierson changed his voter registration in October 2022 to the condo, but The Dispatch reported he had kept his mailing address for communications with the elections board as the Lewis Center home. His wife remains registered to vote in Delaware County.

"These circumstances and others highlighted by that Dispatch article cast doubt on his compliance with residency requirements," Obey said.

Read The Dispatch's report: Prosecutor candidate has a house outside Franklin County, says he lives in Columbus condo

Meanwhile, the Franklin County Democratic Party is poised to consider endorsing Pierson on Thursday as its screening committee has recommended him over his two challengers, Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor, a former assistant city attorney; and Delaware City Attorney Natalia Harris, who lives in Columbus.

The NAACP Columbus branch, along with the Baptist Ministerial Alliance of Columbus and Vicinity, and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Columbus are calling on the county Democratic party not to endorse any candidate in the primary race. They have not cited any issues with Pierson's residency.

Nana M. Watson, president of the NAACP Columbus branch, told The Dispatch that this is a historic moment in local history with three qualified Black candidates running for county prosecutor and the NAACP and other groups want the voters to decide.

"We are protecting the power of the Black vote that our ancestors died for," Watson said.

The Franklin County Democratic Party Executive Committee meets Thursday evening, when about 240 voting members of the committee will decide whether to endorse any candidates in county races.

Michael Sexton, chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Party and a member of the county's Board of Elections, explained that the members of smaller screening committees that interviewed candidates will nominate their recommended picks for endorsement, but all members will be allowed to nominate any candidates.

Then, the members present will vote on each candidate. A candidate needs 60% of the vote for an endorsement. The party could endorse no candidate or multiple candidates in a race, Sexton said.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Complaint questions Franklin County prosecutor candidate's residency