CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Isaac Oberer, a former Ross County deputy Sheriff, has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the position of Ross County Sheriff, setting the stage for a showdown with his former boss, George Lavender, in November’s election.
The announcement came following the certification of Oberer’s petition for candidacy by the local board of elections last week. Oberer chose to unveil his candidacy through a video posted on social media on Monday morning, signaling his intent to contest the sheriff’s seat as an Independent candidate.
“I am facing a very large battle uphill, but I’m doing it for the people,” Oberer said. “I believe you will see a massive change in my opponent since it is election season. But let me ask this: where was this presence for more than a decade in our community?”
Oberer talked in his video about how he was only one of three deputies assigned to cover the entire county on any given shift, jumping call-to-call without time to pro-police.
“Violent crimes are skyrocketing with shootings, stabbings, and almost every other horrible thing you can imagine, including property crime … As a Marine, I was always taught that no man is left behind and with any team, your mission can be completed. Unfortunately, the men and women at the Ross County Sheriff’s office are left behind every single day, and that creates mission failure. The staff are forced to be silent in fear of retaliation. The deputies give it all with little or no support from the administration. It’s a disgrace to the deputies and the community. It’s grossly unacceptable.”
Oberer’s bid for the sheriff’s office has not been without hurdles. Last month, a challenge was lodged against his candidacy by Township Trustee James Hatfield of West Junction Road. The challenge, represented by local attorney and former Chillicothe Chief of Police, Keith Washburn, raised concerns over alleged qualification discrepancies under state law. Among the issues raised were Oberer’s purported failure to submit required documentation to confirm his candidacy. The challenge would have led to a hearing before the local Board of Elections, where Oberer would have had the opportunity to defend himself. However, prior to the hearing, Oberer took proactive measures, contesting the challenge with the Secretary of State’s office. Secretary Frank LaRose intervened, labeling the local board’s actions as premature and illegal incompetency, effectively halting the challenge against Oberer.
The local board had until May 31 to certify Oberer’s candidacy or reject it for having invalid signatures. The petition, which had nearly 300 registered voters signed on was approved in a regular meeting last week.
With Lavender having held the sheriff’s position since 2009 and no Democratic candidate in the running, the upcoming November election will be contested with Oberer’s candidacy.