Board of Elections names new director

3/2/2012

Dan DeAngelis

The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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The four-member Lucas County Board of Elections Friday unanimously appointed Republican Meghan Gallagher as director and reappointed Dan DeAngelis as the Democratic deputy director.

The 4-0 votes during a special meeting came two days after Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted issued a temporary order breaking a deadlock and ordering the hiring of Ms. Gallagher as director, after the Republican and Democratic members were unable to break a tie after five successive votes.

Ms. Gallagher, a Toledo resident and an ally and friend of Mr. Stainbrook, previously was an elections worker with the board.

In addition, Mr. Husted had blocked the firing of Mr. DeAngelis and Michelle Dudley, the Democratic information technology manager. The firings were sought by the two county elections board Republican members, Jon Stainbrook and Tony DeGidio. Mr. Husted said his actions were valid only until March 27, the deadline for the board to complete its official canvass of the March 6 election results.

The board members apparently heeded Mr. Husted’s request to resolve staffing issues at the reorganization meeting Friday. The secretary of state had warned that he would take action to “resolve those staffing issues on a permanent basis.”

The board yesterday also unanimously reappointed Democrat Ron Rothenbuhler as its chairman.