July 13 – PAINESVILLE – Brian Kenderes, the Democratic candidate for Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, will be sentenced on July 25 after pleading guilty to one count of false voter registration, a fifth-degree felony, in the U.S. Court of Common Pleas. Lake County late in the day last month.
According to court records, Kenderes registered or attempted to register to vote in a voting district where he was not a qualified voter.
In a written guilty plea, Kenderes acknowledged that the maximum penalty for the charge is up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.
According to court records, Kenderes lives in Garfield Heights, outside of the 14th Ward. However, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, candidates only need to be residents of the state, not the district they seek to represent.
Lake County Board of Elections Director Dante J. Lewis said Kenderes could withdraw and the Democratic Party could nominate someone to run in the race by Aug. 12.
“We would need something formally in writing,” he said.
If Kenderes dropped out of the race after Aug. 12, the seat would not be filled, Lewis said.
He said Kenderes has not yet withdrawn his name from the race.
Kenderes is running against incumbent Republican Dave Joyce, who was first elected to the House in 2012.
Joyce sailed through the Republican primary, receiving 76.7% of the vote, and Kenderes was unopposed in the Democratic primary, according to data from the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
