(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Much speculation has surrounded the Democratic National Committee’s plan to hold its convention as late as possible—in August—to maximize the benefit it receives in terms of an anticipated polling boost—and possibly to pull off a bait-and-switch operation to replace current President Joe Biden on the ballot.
However, at least one red-state official could throw cold water on that plan, warning them that their late convention may result in the selected candidate being ineligible for the November ballot.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent a letter to the Democratic National Convention, warning them that their convention is due to take place after the state’s mandatory deadline, according to NBC News.
“The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to convene on August 19, 2024, which occurs more than a week after the August 7 deadline to certify a presidential candidate to the office,” said Paul Disantis, chief legal counsel for LaRose..
Disantis addressed the letter to several Democratic representatives for the state of Ohio, including Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo and Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio.
Now, in order for Biden to appear on the ballot, the Democrat Party must either reschedule the nominating convention to an earlier date or work through the GOP-led state legislature to obtain an exemption.
The Biden campaign said that it was sure Biden would be on the ballot in Ohio, but did not elaborate on the plan to make that happen.
David Niven, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati, said that even if Biden does make it onto the ballot, he fully expects presumptive GOP candidate Donald Trump to win the state.
“If this were to actually occur and President Biden were held off the ballot, it would be devastating to the general sort of faith in democracy,” said Niven, who previously contributed to Biden’s 2020 campaign and has made multiple donations to ActBlue in support of Democratic candidates.
“My assumption is that, at least in this moment, democracy will win out,” Niven said. “But because this is Ohio, it won’t be easy.”
Ohio, once considered to be a leading battleground state, leaned conservative in the last several national elections, electing former President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
Niven said it was likely that even fewer Democrats would vote if Biden were left off of the ballot.
That could potentially seal a defeat for incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is taking on political neophyte Bernie Moreno in the general election.
Moreno defeated several more experienced candidates—including LaRose—after Democrats invested in his primary win, hoping that the Trump endorsee would be an easier matchup than more moderate alternatives.
Already hammered over their hypocrisy for campaigning on the threat right-wing “extremism” poses to democracy while secretly backing the more conservative candidates, such a miscalculation in allowing Moreno to win could lead to a serious party reckoning for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others who pushed the risky gambit.
Democrats also have expended any good will they might have had with members of the opposite party after waging a series of spurious lawfare attacks on Trump—including efforts in Colorado and several other states to prevent him from appearing on the ballot by claiming the four-hour Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol was an “insurrection.”
Few, if any, Democrat leaders denounced the effort, which ultimately was defeated by a unanimous Supreme Court decision.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
