Republicans from Hamilton County have begun to emerge as potential party leaders to replace former chairman Alex Triantafilou. Former Judge Russell Mock announced his candidacy for Hamilton County GOP Chairman on Tuesday.
The previous chairman for the last 14 years, Triantafilou, resigned to become the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party.
Mock, who rose from municipal court to the Ohio Court of Appeals, has run for judge five times in the past 20 years and is now seeking the position of Hamilton County Republicans Chairman.
“Our party is at a pivotal moment and as we look towards the future, we are faced with an election cycle that is paramount to the direction of our county, state, and nation,” Mock said.
Mock said he wants to unify the party if he wins. Republicans have suffered substantial losses in Hamilton County, as well as many other major urban regions. On the nine-member Cincinnati City Council, Republicans have only retained one of the party’s seats, as have the two countywide positions of prosecutor and county engineer.
Mock said he doesn’t think it’s too late for Republicans in the city of Cincinnati.
“We need to have a voice to have people accountable in the city,” Mock said.
Maintaining Republican control of the Hamilton County prosecutor will be a primary objective in the upcoming years. Joe Deters, a longtime prosecutor, departed his position to join the Supreme Court.
“If we’re not safe, nothing else matters. I want to work to continue to elect conservative judges,” Mock said.
From 2004 until his election to the Ohio Court of Appeals in 2015, Mock presided as a judge on the Hamilton County Municipal Court. After being defeated by Judge Ginger Bock, he continued to serve on the Ohio Court of Appeals until 2021. He currently works in the county prosecutor’s municipal division, which is in charge of prosecuting crimes outside the Cincinnati city limits, as a principal assistant prosecuting attorney.
Former State Representative Tom Brinkman of Mount Lookout told The Ohio Star that he has also submitted his candidacy for the position of chairman.
Brinkman was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2015-2022. He ran for Hamilton County Auditor but lost in the 2022 general election.
“While I suspect the “fix” is in, I believe it is important to give members of the Central Committee an opportunity to break away from the courthouse crowd that has led to the decline of Republican fortunes in Hamilton County. This decline can not be blamed upon “changing demographics” and “Trump” alone. I offer a new perspective fresh off 16 years of service in the Ohio General Assembly with new election laws in place to address some of the things that have held us back. The Central Committee has the choice of continuing to “rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic” or choose a new means of moving the brand forward which I represent,” Brinkman told The Star.
The Hamilton County GOP has not scheduled Triantafilou’s replacement yet, although acting chairman Triffon Callos stated that he anticipates it will happen within the upcoming month.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
