An Ohio political blog has filed a challenge to Columbus City Council candidate Tiara Ross' candidacy for the open District 7 seat in May's primary.
The Rooster, which is operated by D.J. Byrnes, filed an official challenge to Ross' candidacy with the Franklin County Board of Elections on Wednesday. Byrnes claims Ross lived in Reynoldsburg as recently as August, which could disqualify her from running for the seat.
Under Columbus' city charter, a candidate for Columbus City Council is required to have lived within the city at least one year prior to the primary for the seat they are running for. Ross, a Columbus City Attorney with the Property Action Team, is one of three candidates seeking the seat.
Byrnes' letter to the board cites records that show Ross registered to vote at a downtown Columbus address in September last year. But, Ross donated to Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor's campaign and other campaigns from a Reynoldsburg address located in Licking County outside of Columbus city limits as recently as August and dating as far back as 2017.
"Clear and convincing evidence shows that Ms. Ross moved to Columbus sometime between August 11, 2024 and September 22, 2024, which means that she does not meet the requirements of (the Columbus City Charter). I believe she should be disqualified as a candidate because she is not eligible to serve on council," Byrnes wrote.
Ross responded to the allegations in a statement to WOSU, but she did not take additional questions.
"I do meet the residency requirements to run for Columbus City Council and I will provide proof of that to the Franklin County Board of Elections. I look forward to talking about my vision for Columbus and my record of service over the next couple of months," Ross said.
The board is set to meet March 3 and will likely consider Byrnes' challenge at that meeting.
The two other candidates running against Ross are former Near East Side Commissioner Kate Curry-Da-Souza and immigration attorney Jesse Vogel. The May 6 primary will determine which of the two candidates will advance to the November general election.
Vogel said in a statement he thinks a candidate's residency is a valid question, but not a large concern for him.
"As an immigration attorney and candidate for Columbus City Council, I'm focused on helping people keep their families safe, fed, and housed. I'm less focused on politicians not living in the district they want to represent," Vogel said.
Curry-Da-Souza declined to comment.
The District 7 seat covers most of downtown Columbus and its surrounding neighborhoods. The district is currently represented by Columbus City Councilmember Otto Beatty III, who is not running for the seat.
Beatty was appointed to fill a vacancy left by Shayla Favor after she was elected Franklin County Prosecutor in November.
