By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jolivette

HAMILTON - Mike Fox and Greg Jolivette, among Butler County's most prominent Republicans, will battle each other for the county commissioner's seat next year.

Jolivette, a former Hamilton mayor who has been a state representative for six years, is expected to announce at a press conference today that he will seek the GOP nomination to run for Fox's seat.

The two political veterans will compete for the endorsement of the county party's executive and central committees this fall and will run against each other in the March 2 primary race.

Fox, who was a state representative for almost 23 years and has been a commissioner for six years, said county GOP leaders recruited Jolivette to run against him because he refused to stop publicly criticizing how two Republican judges operate Domestic Relations Court.

"The voters will have a clear choice between a watchdog and a lapdog," Fox said. "The party leadership wanted me to be their lapdog, and I said, 'No, I'm not interested.' Now they intend to punish me for it."

Jolivette declined Wednesday to say whether he will run against Fox. But he read a statement in response to Fox's comments.

"Mike Fox is no watchdog," he said.

"A watchdog is supposed to protect, not attack. Fox has abused and bullied everyone who doesn't serve his own selfish political interests. His criticism of the Republican Party is totally without merit."

Jolivette and Joe Schwarz, chairman of the Butler County Republican Party, disputed Fox's contention that party leaders threatened at a private meeting this summer to endorse someone else for the commissioner's seat if Fox didn't stop clamoring for Domestic Relations Court to change some of its policies and procedures.

"I told him at that meeting that I hoped he was not opposed by anyone," Schwarz said.

Jolivette accused Fox of committing "a collection of embarrassing comments and actions."

"The Republican Party and Butler County are tired of it," he said.

Fox said he always has spoken his mind and acted according to his values, not the direction of party leaders. He characterized himself as a public official who has tried to serve the interests of ordinary citizens. "I am passionate about my beliefs, and I fight for what I believe in," said Fox, who helped bring about the namesake highway that runs from Interstate 75 to Hamilton.

Commissioner Courtney Combs said this race will be contentious and could cause a major split in the Republican Party, which now controls all countywide offices. When a single party rules a county, those within the party often wind up fighting each other, he said.

"Because there's very little opposition in the general elections," Combs said, "the battles are fought in the primaries. I've seen it happen in other counties in Ohio that become dominated by one party."

Combs said he expects party leaders to ask him to withdraw from the state Senate race against fellow Republican Ohio Rep. Gary Cates, and to run instead for Jolivette's House seat next year.

West Chester Township Trustee Catherine Stoker, a Democrat, expressed amusement at the discord in the rival party.

"The Republicans are generally very discreet about their internal conflicts," she said. "But the past few months, the gloves have come off and they've really been taking potshots at each other."

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com