The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an emergency appeal from Samuel Ronan, preventing him from running in Ohio’s Republican congressional primary after state officials removed him from the ballot. The court denied the request without comment, and no justice publicly noted a dissent, consistent with typical handling of emergency applications, according to reports.
Ronan had sought to run in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District against incumbent Mike Carey after filing as a Republican. In his paperwork, he stated he was a member of the party and pledged to support its principles. The Franklin County Board of Elections initially approved his candidacy.
The filing was later challenged by a Republican voter who argued Ronan was not a genuine member of the party. Ronan had previously run for chair of the Democratic National Committee, which opponents cited in questioning his affiliation.
The county board split along party lines on whether to keep him on the ballot, leading Frank LaRose to cast the deciding vote to disqualify him.
Ronan filed a lawsuit, but Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah Morrison upheld the decision, finding that the state’s interest in maintaining election integrity outweighed any burden on his constitutional claims.
“It cannot be the case that a State must allow a candidate on a partisan ballot even if he lied about his party affiliation simply because the First Amendment is implicated,” the Trump-appointed judge wrote.
A three-judge appeals panel later declined to reinstate Ronan on the ballot. He then took his battle to the Supreme Court alongside Ohio voter Ana Cordero, who argued that she wanted the chance to vote for him in the GOP primary. “The First Amendment violation in this case warrants immediate injunctive relief,” they wrote in their emergency filing.
The duo argued that Ronan was removed from the Republican primary ballot solely due to his political speech and contested accusations that he falsely identified as a Republican. “But Applicant Ronan did not lie,” they argued in the high court filing.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office responded with a filing of their own, arguing that there was “just one problem” with Ronan’s attempt to run as a Republican: “He is a Democrat.” In their final response to the justices, Ronan and Cordero cautioned that preventing the candidate from appearing on the ballot could set a dangerous precedent for future candidates.
Separately, a federal judge this week blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Ethiopian nationals, marking another legal clash over immigration policy and executive authority.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that President Donald J. Trump’s administration could not move forward with terminating the program, finding that the process used to revoke protections likely violated federal law. The decision delays the effective end of TPS for more than 5,000 Ethiopians currently living and working in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security administers Temporary Protected Status. It allows individuals from designated countries experiencing armed conflict, disaster, or extraordinary conditions to remain in the U.S. temporarily. Ethiopia was initially granted TPS designation in 2022, with protections later extended through early 2026.
DHS administers Temporary Protected Status. It allows individuals from designated countries experiencing armed conflict, disaster, or extraordinary conditions to remain in the U.S. temporarily. Ethiopia was initially granted TPS designation in 2022, with protections later extended through early 2026.
The Trump administration moved to terminate that designation shortly after taking office in January 2025, arguing that conditions in Ethiopia no longer met the legal threshold required to justify continued protection. DHS officials said the decision followed a formal review of country conditions and consultation with other federal agencies.
But Murphy determined that the administration’s actions likely failed to meet procedural requirements under federal law, including standards set by the Administrative Procedure Act. He ordered a delay in the termination, effectively allowing the protections to remain in place while the case proceeds through the courts.
Murphy previously blocked the end of protections for Ethiopians in a separate case. It’s a certainty that the Trump administration will appeal.