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Election Board Hears Challenges Filed Against GOP Delegates

Last updated on Thursday, February 23, 2012

(BEDFORD) - Challenges filed against four people seeking to be GOP delegates to the Republican State Convention were upheld by the election board Wednesday afternoon.

Cindy Grow will still be on the ballot seeking the Shawswick Precinct 12 committeeman seat and as a Republican convention delegate.

Rules to be a state convention delegate or committee member are outlined by the party and must be upheld for a candidate to be on the ballot. They must have voted the Republican Party the last time they voted, if not they can submit an affidavit of party loyalty to the Republican Party Chairman Sam Bond, none did.

The election board members who ruled on the challenges are Myron Rainey, Don Henderson and Gordon Emery.

Republican Patty Ford, who is seeking to be a state convention delegate from Pleasant Run, filed a challenge against fellow candidate William Cornell IV. Cornell was not present at the hearing. Ford filed the challenge because Cornell has never voted. The board upheld the challenge.

Republican Ray Lindsey challenged convention delegates Ian Brown, Anthony Fierro and Cindy Grow. He also challenged Grow's Shawswick 12 precinct committeeman candidacy. But told the board he didn't feel comfortable filing the challenge because of all the work Grow has done for the Republican Party.

The election board upheld the challenge against Brown, because Brown cast a Democratic ballot in the 2008 and that was the last time he voted.

The board upheld the challenge against Fierro because he had not voted in any primary election since 2010.

25-year-old Fierro however, pleaded with the board to allow him to run stating he was overseas serving with the Marine Corp from 2003 to 2008. And did not have time or interest to follow politics because he was busy with his fellow marines protecting the country. But now he would like to represent his generate, a generation that has been at war and to honor his fellow comrades and friends who died.

Fierro says he tried to follow the rules, and thought he had, but he failed to file the affidavit with Bond.

Myron Rainey did apologize to Fierro for not following up with him, but said Fierro did break the rule by not voting while he was overseas, and explained to Fierro that he could have done that

Fierro again said he had more pressing issues overseas then casting a ballot.

Christina Lambton filed the challenge against Jonathon Arnold. Arnold was not present for the hearing. Lambton filed the challenge because his candidacy was unknown. The last time Arnold voted was in the 2004 general election. The board upheld the challenge.

The challenge against Cindy Grow was denied. Lindsey filed the challenge because there was no record of a party declaration in the 2008 election.Lindsey state he was not comfortable with the challenge because of all the work Crow has done for the Republican Party, but he had no choice but to file the challenge.

Lindsey stated the records did not disclose which ballot she casted. Myron Rainey say apparently the poll clerk did not record which ballot Grow requested. So because it was a poll error, the board denied the challenge and Grow will be allowed to run for both positions.

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