Retzke Pushes Back on False Claims, Says Voters Deserve Better

SANDUSKY, OH — Democratic candidate for Ohio House District 89 Easton Retzke is pushing back against false claims from Republican nominee Caleb Stidham attempting to connect Retzke and his campaign to a lawsuit challenging the process used to select Stidham as the Republican nominee.

The lawsuit was filed by former Ottawa County Democratic Commissioner Carl Koebel and names the Ohio Secretary of State and Erie County Board of Elections as defendants. Retzke is not a party to the lawsuit and said neither he nor his campaign had any involvement in filing or pursuing the case.

Despite that, Stidham publicly described the lawsuit as an effort by Retzke and his “allies,” claiming they did not want voters to have a choice in the election.

“I have nothing to do with this lawsuit,” Retzke said. “I did not file it, I did not participate in it, and my campaign had no involvement in it. To suggest otherwise is simply false. My opponent should not be making accusations about my campaign when he knows I have nothing to do with this case.”

Retzke said the accusation is particularly troubling given that the lawsuit concerns the circumstances surrounding Stidham’s own nomination. Stidham was selected by a Republican committee of which he himself was a member after former State Rep. D.J. Swearingen withdrew from the race, while Retzke earned the Democratic nomination through the May primary election.

“I earned my position on the ballot the democratic way: by showing up, listening to our neighbors, and earning every single vote,” Retzke said. “If my opponent wants to defend the process that put him on the ballot, he is free to do that. But he should do it without falsely dragging my campaign into a lawsuit I had absolutely nothing to do with.”

Retzke said he will remain focused on the people of Erie, Ottawa, and Huron Counties and the issues that matter to them.

“This campaign is about working people, small businesses, our schools, our local economy, property taxes, Lake Erie, and making sure our communities have a voice in Columbus,” Retzke said. “I’m not going to let false accusations pull our campaign away from that work. Voters deserve an honest conversation about the candidates and what we will do for this district.”