The Hamilton County Republican Party elected former Judge Russell Mock as its new chairman early on Thursday evening.
Green Township Trustee Triffon Callos, who has served as the temporary party chair for the previous month, said that Mock defeated former State Representative Tom Brinkman at a closed-door meeting of the county party’s central committee at Clovernook County Club by a vote of 125 to 66.
“It is a true honor to be selected to serve as the chairman of this great party. This is a crucial moment for our county…This upcoming election cycle will be one of the most important in recent memory. I pledge to work collaboratively with everyone to strengthen our party and promote our conservative principles,” Mock said.
He replaces Alex Triantafilou, a former judge and attorney who served as chairman of the Hamilton County GOP for 18 years before the Ohio Republican Party selected him as chair in January.
Mock and Brinkman, a former state representative, were the only candidates for the job in an election overseen by Callos.
According to Mock, the next election cycle will be crucial in determining the direction of the state of Ohio.
“Our party is at a pivotal moment and as we look towards the future, we are faced with an election cycle that is paramount to the direction of our county, state, and nation,” Mock said.
Mock said that unifying the party is a high priority of his. Republicans have suffered substantial losses in Hamilton County, as well as many other major urban regions. On the nine-member Cincinnati City Council, Republicans have only retained one of the party’s seats, as have the two countywide positions of prosecutor and county engineer.
Mock said he doesn’t think it’s too late for Republicans in Cincinnati.
“We need to have a voice to have people accountable in the city,” Mock said.
He also noted that maintaining Republican control of the Hamilton County prosecutor will be a primary objective in the upcoming years. Joe Deters, a longtime prosecutor, departed his position to join the Supreme Court. The GOP appointed former juvenile court judge and assistant prosecutor Melissa Powers to fill out Deters’ term.
“If we’re not safe, nothing else matters. I want to work to continue to elect conservative judges,” Mock said.
Mock, an Ohio Northern University School of Law graduate, started working as an assistant county prosecutor in 2001. Bob Taft, the governor at the time, appointed him to a vacancy on the Hamilton County Municipal Court in 2004. He served as a judge for the municipal court until 2014 when he was chosen to serve on the 1st District Court of Appeals. He served on the Ohio Court of Appeals until 2021, when Judge Ginger Block defeated him. He currently works as a chief assistant prosecuting attorney in the county prosecutor’s municipal division, which is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanors outside of the Cincinnati city limits.
– – –
Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Russell Mock” by Russell Mock. Background Photo “Hamilton County Courthouse” by Warren LeMay.
