Alex Arshinkoff won the battle for control of the Summit County Republican Party on Wednesday night, handily winning election as chairman of the central committee.

The run for central committee chairman was a surprise move by Arshinkoff, allowing him to bypass a run for the executive committee chair against the opposition's choice, Cuyahoga Falls Councilwoman Carol Klinger.

Instead, he faced Akron attorney Don Varian, a controversial Republican figure who was tapped by Democrats to serve on the Summit County Board of Elections.

At one point during the vote count, with Arshinkoff leading by more than2-to-1 over Varian, a committee member stood up in the crowded banquet hall at Tangier restaurant in Akron and asked if the voice tally of the secret ballots needed to continue.

It did, Arshinkoff told the crowd of about 500 people, because there could be a legal battle with the group of dissatisfied Republicans who had attempted the coup.

The final vote was 260-115 in favor of Arshinkoff. The audience broke into cheers and applause.

''Thank you very much for that vote,'' Arshinkoff said.

He admitted he has made mistakes as party chairman and pledged to improve transparency in the budget process and have an independent audit
conducted of party finances — two criticisms offered up by his opponents.

Arshinkoff later won other decisive victories with committee members electing his slate of central committee officers and executive committee members in a meeting that dragged on for four hours, ending at 10:30 p.m.

The party elected its chairman in a secret ballot, but dispensed with that procedure as that vote clearly indicated that the anti-Arshinkoff faction would not prevail.

The later votes were conducted by a show of hands.

After the meeting, state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, who launched the New Summit County Republicans group last year to oppose Arshinkoff, called the results a great launching pad for reform within the party.

''Despite the outcome, we're generally pleased,'' he said. ''A hundred and some (votes) is a heck of a lot better than zero.''

Video

Arshinkoff surprised many when he decided to run for chairman of the 400-plus member central committee, rather than the executive committee that he now heads. This set up the contest between him and Varian, rather than one against Klinger.

Under the party's current structure, the central committee is made up of people who are elected from each precinct in the county. The executive committee, which runs day-to-day operations, is chosen by the central committee.

The party can determine which committee chair becomes the top executive.

Klinger, a Cuyahoga Falls City Council member, said before the meeting that she would run for the executive committee, and not the central committee, even if Arshinkoff was up for the central committee.

The New Summit County Republicans argue that the chair of the central committee must also be a member of the committee. Varian is a member, while Klinger and Arshinkoff are not.

Picked by Democrat

Varian is controversial because he was chosen by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, to serve on the Summit County Board of Elections after she announced that she would not give Arshinkoff another term. That decision is being contested by the party in the Ohio Supreme Court. Brunner testified in the case that Wayne Jones, chairman of the Summit County Democratic Party and an elections board member, told her Varian would be a good board member.

At Wednesday's meeting, State Auditor Mary Taylor nominated Arshinkoff, saying he has been a fighter and wins for Republicans against strong Democratic opposition in the county.

Coughlin nominated Varian. He said Varian is respected by the business and legal community. He said Varian would focus the party on winning elections and ''involving more of us.''

Varian, who seconded his own nomination, made a fiery speech. He immediately addressed the criticism that he is too closely associated with the Democratic Party by saying ''up until the last few months, I barely knew Wayne Jones.''

Varian said he wanted to create a party that binds people together, rather than dividing them.

''There is an opportunity here,'' he said.

Varian said the law about whether the central committee chair must be a member of the committee likely will be looked at later.

State Sen. Tim Grendell, who served as the parliamentarian during the meeting, told those at the meeting that state law doesn't require the chair of the central committee to be a member of the central committee. Grendell is representing the party in the Ohio Supreme Court lawsuit challenging Brunner's elections board decision.

People pack room

The banquet room was so crowded that people couldn't get out of their chairs for the Pledge of Allegiance.

The environment was controlled, with those in attendance required to wear paper badges identifying themselves as central committee, guest, volunteer or press. Several off-duty Akron police officers worked inside and outside the room.

The meeting began with a dinner consisting of comfort food — stuffed chicken breasts, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas and carrots, salad and a choice of pecan or chocolate silk pie.

Brian Jordan, a central committee member from Tallmadge and a junior at Gettysburg College, drove six hours to Akron on Wednesday to vote against Arshinkoff.

''We've got to clean up the party,'' he said before the meeting. ''It's a mess. Alex is an embarrassment.''

Mary Stormer, a central committee member from Akron supporting Arshinkoff, predicted before the meeting that he would prevail.

''If he doesn't, it will make it a struggle for the slate [that is] up and running this year,'' she said, referring to the local GOP candidates — including herself — on the November ballot. Stormer is running for Summit County Common Pleas Court clerk.

After the meeting, a jubilant Arshinkoff said the party now needs to pull together and elect Republicans. He said he decided to run for central committee chairman so that no one could say he was running away from the fight.

''It was important to show clearly to the community that I had the support of the rank-and-file governing committee,'' he said, referring to the central committee. ''This was a clear test.''

Arshinkoff said he believes the other side would lose a legal challenge to whether he can be central committee chairman. He said the money that would be spent on a lawsuit would be better put toward GOP campaigns in November.