Breaking a Mahoning County Board of Elections’ tie vote, the secretary of state ruled that Greg Beight will remain on the Nov. 8 ballot as an independent candidate for the 59th Ohio House District seat.

Beight’s independence was questioned because he had voted in Republican primaries since 2018, including the one on May 3. Beight, of New Springfield, didn’t vote in the Aug. 2 primary that included four Democrats seeking that party’s nomination for this state House seat. No Republicans ran for the position.

In a Wednesday letter breaking the tie, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, wrote that while Beight voted in the May 3 Republican primary, he said at an Aug. 29 elections board hearing he “became dissatisfied and non-affiliated, in good faith, with either party after July 4 and submitted a petition as an independent candidate in this matter, believing that a candidate in the middle of the two parties would benefit the community.”

LaRose added: “While a candidate’s actions, such as their voting record before they purportedly disaffiliate with a party, may be considered in the analysis, they are not conclusive as to whether the candidate is non-affiliated at the time they file their petition.”

Beight, a first-time candidate, said: “I’m pleased. It’s good news. I felt if you look at the past, I’ve never been a party person so I felt it’s the right decision.”

Beight said, “I honestly wish it happened sooner. I’m at a major disadvantage now. I haven’t been raising any money whatsoever and campaigning has been limited. I now get busy. I’ll go out and campaign and tell people what my thoughts are and why I’m qualified and why I should represent them.”

Independent candidates are typically considered unaffiliated from a political party if they don’t vote in primaries after declaring their independence and if they aren’t officeholders in a party though there are other circumstances that can lead to a candidate not being considered an independent and not qualifying for an election.

Under Ohio law, a voter affiliates with a political party by voting in that party’s primary election.

At the Aug. 29 elections board meeting, the vote was 2-2 with Democrats David Betras and Joyce Kale-Pesta voting to remove Beight and Republicans Sandra Barger and Bob Aurandt voting to keep him on the ballot.

Betras, board chairman,said he voted to remove Beight from the ballot because a federal court determined May 3 and Aug. 2 were one primary.

After Wednesday’s decision, Betras said: “It was a weird situation with two primaries. I abide by whatever (LaRose) says.”

Mahoning County Democratic Chairman Christopher Anderson strongly disagreed with LaRose’s decision, saying it was partisan and it’s obvious Beight is a Republican.

“Frank LaRose has done nothing but politicize his office and he’s fallen in line with the other political hacks in Columbus,” Anderson said.

Beight will face Youngstown 5th Ward Councilwoman Lauren McNally, who won the Aug. 2 Democratic primary, in the Nov. 8 general election. Cecil Monroe of Youngstown, who has lost several elections, filed as a write-in candidate for the position.

Also, Poland Township Trustee Eric Ungaro, who the board vote Aug. 22 to not certify as an independent for this seat, is suing in Ohio Supreme Court to get on the ballot.

The board voted 3-1 against Ungaro largely because his campaign website included at least 15 photos with the Democratic Party brand. The board concluded Ungaro was still a Democrat.

Ungaro said the photos were posted January 2018, when he ran as a Democrat for the state House, and he has since disaffiliated himself from the party.