Wayne County Republican Central Committee: Case Study

WOOSTER — The Wayne County Republican Central Committee will meet 7 p.m. Aug. 8 to vote on appointing a county commissioner to serve the unexpired term of Jim Carmichael until the end of the year and for someone to replace him on the general election ballot.
Carmichael died July 13 while serving as commissioner. He had defeated Stuart Mykrantz in the primary and was running unopposed in the general election.
Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Smail has been serving as commissioner in an interim basis, appointed by commissioners Scott Wiggam and Ann Obrecht.
The number of people who have expressed interest in the position swelled to 14, but it is now down to 12, Smail said. Four people interested have sent letters of interest to members of the Central Committee.
The deadline for the committee to receive the information is Aug. 5.
The Wayne County Democratic Party will also be able to appoint a candidate to run on the ballot for the commissioner’s seat. Chairwoman Betsy Sheets is trying to recruit a candidate.
With Smail serving as an interim commissioner and seeking to serve out the remainder of Carmichael’s term, she will be recusing herself from the Central Committee meeting. She also said she will be resigning as head of the party at the end of August.
Smail is already running for commissioner. She defeated Bruce Wright in the March primary and is vying the seat currently held by Wiggam, who is running for state representative. Smail will face Democrat Rodney Mackey, president of the Apple Creek Village Council, in the November general election. Mackey was unopposed in the primary.
The committee’s Aug. 8 meeting will be held at 3873 Cleveland