How in the World Did This Guy Get Elected? The Central Committee and Why You Should Care

by Matthew Urbas

Editor’s Note: If you aren’t familiar with Matthew Urbas, you should be. His factual grasp and poignant descriptions of Ohio politics and issues are invaluable. Here he describes the Republican party structure you never knew you needed to know. Find more of Matthew’s insights in his Ohio Political Action groups on Face Book and Telegram. Also be sure to view Matthew’s video description of party structure below.

The Republican Party Central Committees

The workings of party politics are complex, but the central committees are the ‘bowels’ of the party – the inner workings. They help determine who you ever see/have a chance to vote for. They determine whether the party platform is truly ever upheld at any level. They influence EVERY member of the party in elected office in this state.

Matthew Urbas, Ohio Political Action

Here we will touch on these 2 types of party entities: the Republican Party State Central Committee and the various county-level central committees.

The Republican State Central Committee

The Republican State Central Committee is the governing body of the Ohio Republican Party. There are 66 members of the State Central Committee. Members of the committee are elected in even numbered years during the primary election for the party, usually held in spring. There are no term limits.

Why 66 members?

There are two people on the committee, one man and one woman, from each of Ohio’s 33 Senate districts. It’s important to know your senate district and number, because that corresponds to both your state senator and your party committeepersons.

What does the State Central Committee Do?

These 66 people are the key voting members of the state party. They elect the Ohio GOP Chairman, as well as make key decisions in endorsing and allocating the party’s funds to various candidates. The State Central Committee also elects 1 man and 1 woman to the Republican National Committee.

Republican County Central Committees

Each of Ohio’s 88 counties has a County Central Committee which is responsible for the county-level operations of the party. Generally speaking, there is 1 member of the County Central Committee from each electoral precinct in the county. Precincts in Ohio have, on average only about 1,000-2,000 residents. By law, these are elected positions and are also voted on during the party primary elections in Spring. However, many precincts have nobody in the position. County parties each have their own bylaws which govern how to appoint someone who wishes to take a vacant position in a particular precinct.

County central committees, when they are functioning properly, serve to actively recruit and vet candidates for office in their counties.

“What is the “Liberty Movement” or the “Freedom Movement”? There is only one real Freedom Movement and that is the people who actually show up month after month at their local party Central Committee meetings recruiting, vetting and supporting candidates; “Moving” these candidates into county, state and federal legislatures. Any “activity” that is not moving candidates into the legislature is not part of the “Movement.” People not actually moving candidates into the legislative pipeline may think they are part of the movement but they are more akin to spectators or cheerleaders at a sporting event. – Rick Herron, Actually Making a Difference

Precinct vs. Wards and Length of Terms

County parties are given some freedom in how they are organized. Some counties have 2 year terms for their committees; others have 4 year terms. Most counties have one committeeperson per electoral precinct; others have one member per ward, which made up of multiple precincts, and results in fewer members on the central committee, each representing more people. County parties in Ohio also are required to have an executive committee, and the powers of the executive committee are determined by the central committee. However, in many cases the executive committee has been delegated the more important powers than the central committee itself.

State Law and Party Bylaws

Much of how the party committees are structured and how they operate is determined by state law (Ohio Revised Code 3517). But the party bylaws drive the minutiae of the duties and operations of the committees.