GOP-er Wins Key Court Battle in Disputed House Race

by Michael O'Brien - 12/05/08 4:02 PM ET

Republican Steve Stivers won a crucial court victory Friday in his bid to represent Ohio’s 15th congressional district, with state’s Supreme Court ruling against the Secretary of State’s instruction to count unsigned provisional ballots in the still-undecided race.

In a per curiam decision, the Ohio Surpeme Court sided with Stivers, ruling Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) erred when she ordered the district’s Board of Directors to count the disputed ballots. The campaigns had said that as many as 1,000 additional ballots might have been included in the tally, where Stivers maintains a 594-vote lead over Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy.

“We are pleased with the Court