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COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new group is taking over the investigation of campaign finance violations in Ohio, and it begins work on Jan. 1.
It’s called the Ohio Election Integrity Commission, and lawmakers created it in the state budget to replace the longtime Ohio Elections Commission.
The change was driven by Republicans, who argued the old commission was slow and ineffective.
For example, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in May that the commission had failed to collect nearly $100 million in fines, “sending a terrible message that you can break the law and get away with it.”
Democrats opposed the move.
They warned that shutting down an independent commission and moving its duties to the office of a partisan elected official could weaken independent oversight of Ohio’s campaign finance laws.
New year, new commission
The old Ohio Elections Commission had seven members. The governor appointed three Republicans and three Democrats, and those folks chose a seventh independent member.
Starting Jan. 1, those duties shift to the new, five-member Ohio Election Integrity Commission.
The Secretary of State will appoint the chair, and the four legislative leaders — two Republicans and two Democrats — will appoint the remaining members.
At least three members must be attorneys, and members must have either legal or election experience.
Democrats worry the new structure gives too much power to the Secretary of State. Because the secretary appoints the commission’s chair, that person will likely serve as the tie-breaking vote when the board is split.
New tools for election oversight
The old commission could issue fines and refer cases to prosecutors, but it couldn’t control whether those fines were collected or charges were filed.
“The commission has become an increasingly toothless and inconsistent shell of what it was intended to be,” LaRose said in May 2025.
Part of that is because of a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Ohio’s “false statements” law and limited the commission’s role in policing campaign speech.
Rep. Brian Stewart, an Ashville Republican, told reporters during the budget debate that the commissioners had years to adapt but didn’t.
The new commission will recommend fines and criminal referrals directly to the Secretary of State. Those crimes include crimes like ballot harvesting, petition fraud, double voting and voter registration fraud.
Who will serve
LaRose tapped retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O’Donnell to serve as interim chair of the new commission when it begins work in January.
He will lead the panel for its first 90 days and then step down. After that, LaRose plans to appoint D. Michael Crites as chair.
Crites cannot serve until March, when Senate Bill 293 takes effect. The new law removed a rule barring people who serve on another board or commission from sitting on the Election Integrity Commission.
Crites is a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, a Navy veteran and he previously chaired the Ohio Elections Commission.
Democrats appointed John Lyall and Eben “Sandy” McNair IV to the new commission.
House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, of Cincinnati, chose Lyall. He’s the former president of AFSCME Ohio Council 8 and had been serving on the old commission, where his term was set to run through 2026.
Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, of Cleveland, selected McNair.
She said his “decades of expertise in election law” will help the panel build trust in Ohio’s elections. McNair is a former member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and an attorney who practices in both state and federal courts.
Republican Senate President Rob McColley, of Henry County, also chose someone serving on the old board. He appointed attorney Karl Kerschner.
Kerschner currently serves as chief legal officer for Roppe Corp. and sits on the board of directors for Reineke Family Dealerships.
Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman, of Lima, chose Matthew Brown.