The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to step in and save a congressional candidate named Sam Ronan. He wanted to run as a Republican in Ohio’s May primary. The problem? He spent over a decade publicly calling himself a Democrat.
His own campaign manager once said their goal was to “torpedo the republican party from within” by having Democrats run in Republican primaries.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose — a Republican — kicked Ronan off the ballot. The courts agreed. And now the Supreme Court has let that decision stand.
Good.
What Ronan Was Trying to Pull
This wasn’t a guy who quietly changed his mind about politics. According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ronan had spent years running what looked like a deliberate infiltration scheme — recruiting Democrats to file as Republicans in safe red districts and try to win from the inside.
His attorneys argued he had a right to run and that people change their political views. That’s true. People do change. But Ohio has a rule that says you have to honestly declare your party membership. LaRose said Ronan lied on his form.
The Court’s order was short and direct. It simply said the request for emergency relief “is denied.”
Why This Matters to Conservatives
Political parties are private organizations. They have the right to set their own rules. They get to decide who runs under their banner. That’s not government overreach. That’s basic freedom of association.
If a party can’t protect its own primary from outside sabotage, then the primary means nothing. Voters go to the polls thinking they’re picking from a field of real Republicans. But some of those “Republicans” might actually be Trojan horses sent to blow up the party from the inside.
That’s not democracy. That’s a con.
The Nevada Connection
This isn’t just an Ohio problem. Nevada’s own closed primary has been under attack — and the fight isn’t over.
Nevada runs closed primaries. If you register as a Democrat or Republican, you can only vote in your own party’s primary. That’s how it’s supposed to work.
But over the last several years, well-funded outside groups have tried to change that. Twice.
Nevada voters first considered a ballot initiative in 2022 known as Question 3. It would have established open top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections. Question 3 passed in 2022 with 52.94% of votes in favor and 47.06% against.
Under Nevada law, a constitutional amendment has to pass twice in successive elections. So it came back to voters in 2024.
This time, Nevada voters said no. Voters rejected Question 3 in 2024, meaning the ballot initiative was defeated.Both the Democratic and Republican state parties strongly opposed Question 3. Republicans characterized it as a California idea.
Nevada dodged a bullet. But don’t relax just yet.
A new initiative has already been filed with the Nevada Secretary of State that could appear on the 2026 ballot. It would amend the state constitution to allow voters to participate in publicly funded primary elections without requiring party affiliation at all.
They’re coming back for another round.
What Critics Say
Supporters of open primaries make a reasonable-sounding argument. Ronan’s own lawyers wrote:
“The historical record is replete with elected officials, candidates and voters changing political parties from one election to the next. The one constant in American politics is change.”
Nobody disputes that people can change their views. But there’s a big difference between honestly switching parties and running a long-term scheme to place fake Republicans in real Republican primaries.
Ohio’s Attorney General put it plainly. Ronan was removed from the ballot for:
“lying on his candidacy form about his membership in the Republican Party.”
Lying is the key word there.
What You Can Do
Keep an eye on that new open primaries push here in Nevada. To get on the November 2026 ballot, the initiative needs nearly 149,000 valid signatures by June 24, 2026.
Closed primaries protect the integrity of the Republican Party’s nominating process. Open primaries invite chaos — and worse, they invite exactly the kind of calculated infiltration the Ohio case just exposed.
The Supreme Court did the right thing this week. Now it’s up to Nevada Republicans to protect their own backyard again.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
