Some Warren County Republicans won their races despite their own party’s efforts to sabotage them, they said.
A handful of Republicans who ran for county central committee, the local governing body for political parties, had a challenger in the May 5 primary election. Some of those candidates said the Warren County GOP recruited people to run against them.
As first reported by The Enquirer, the party sent a text to registered Republicans encouraging them to run for county central committee in January. Party Chairman Christian Mays said the texts were sent to people in precincts where no one was running. But some candidates said that wasn’t true.
Candidate who clashed with GOP board won race
Linda Burke, mayor of South Lebanon and a 14-year incumbent central committee member, said the text was sent to people in her precinct, even though the party knew she was running for reelection. Burke won her race against Duane Riley on Tuesday, earning 57% of the vote.
Burke, who is also a Warren County GOP executive board member, previously told The Enquirer that fellow GOP board members demanded she retract statements she made about the party and threatened to kick her out if she did not.
An email obtained by The Enquirer showed the board also asked Burke to make an “endorsement of Christian Mays” and delete any derogatory social media posts about him or the committee. Mays, at the time, told The Enquirer Burke was not asked to endorse him as a candidate, but to support him as the current party chairman.
For her May 5 race, Burke said she focused on running a “good, solid campaign” and spent more money than she has in past races.
“I couldn’t get caught back up in all of this extraneous stuff that was going on,” she said. “It was discouraging to me at times, and others as well. But I had to tell myself to stay focused and walk away from some of the things that were going on at that moment.”
“I don’t know where we go from here,” she added. “I hope we can put our party back together.”
Warren County Republicans said they were ‘sabatoged’ by party. Chairman denies it
Central committee member Jane Wright-Combs narrowly defeated Paul Books with 52% of the vote. A volunteer with the Warren County GOP called Republicans in that precinct and encouraged them to vote for Books, a voicemail recording obtained by The Enquirer revealed.
“The party sabotaged me,” Wright-Combs said. “I’m glad I won for the people. I think that the Warren County party has lost its way. I believe the Warren County party is ran by people whose sight is on power and money, and no longer for the people.”
Candidates running for county and state central committees do not need to file campaign finance forms. Financial records filed with the Ohio Secretary of State show the Warren County Republican executive committee spent money on banners, video production and guest speakers in 2026, but no money was given to any county central committee candidates.
In an email to The Enquirer, Mays said the party did not provide any type of assistance to candidates running for central committee. Mays, who won his race for the Republican member of the state central committee, did not respond to Wright-Combs’ “sabotaged” comment.
Jeremy Cornett, a new challenger, beat incumbent Viva Goorian with 78% of the vote. Goorian said she doesn’t blame the Warren County GOP for her loss, but she does think the party’s actions impacted central committee races.
Goorian said she’s concerned about a growing culture within the party where you’re ousted if you disagree with leadership. Censuring central committee members who disagree with the party’s primary endorsements has “disastrous outcomes” for the party and voters, she said.
“I was in until I disagreed with them,” she said. “It shouldn’t be this way. We’re on the same side. It makes no sense.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Suburban Republicans said they were ‘sabotaged’ by party. Who won?
Reporting by Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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