Local reaction, roundly condemning the violence at the Capitol, is coming in after Wednesday’s halt to
Congress’ tally of the Electoral College vote.
Jonathan Jakubowski, chair of the Wood County Republican Party, said the violence was unacceptable and
very disappointing.
“I certainly condemn any kind of violent protest,” Jakubowski said. “I don’t support this in any way,
shape or form. It’s un-American, it’s wrong.”
He said that he is a supporter of President Donald Trump, but the time has come to accept that he lost
re-election to Joe Biden.
“There’s a Constitutional process that’s been put in place by our founders. There are checks and balances
and gates that we cross through,” Jakubowski said. “Absolutely, it’s time to take the next step.”
He said that he has very little to do with the national political scene, but locally he would work toward
putting this “vicious” election cycle behind.
“I’m going to work to unify. I’m going to work to reconcile,” Jakubowski said. “It’s time to reach across
the aisle and build relationships.”
Wood County Commissioner Ted Bowlus said that he was listening to coverage on the radio on Wednesday.
“It’s extremely surprising — that would be the word for it — and disappointing,” he said.
“I’m a big believer in following the law and I think we should proceed with our normal transition,”
Bowlus said. “I can understand that they have freedom of speech but it has gone too far.”
Bowlus said he is a Trump supporter and believes that the president has done some good things, although
he is not a fan of his communication methods.
“I do believe that he and Vice President (Mike) Pence need to get on national television and call for law
and order,” he said.
In a text, Commissioner Doris Herringshaw said that she supported peaceful protesting.
“It is a sad day for the country when people storm the Capitol building. There are other ways to object
that do not put people’s lives in danger,” she said.
Congressman Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, said that he and his staff were safe and sequestered at
undisclosed locations.
“These attacks on our democracy, our Capitol, and Capitol Police are abhorrent and must stop,” Latta said
in a statement. “This is not how the Constitution has guided our country and citizens over the past 232
years. My eternal gratitude goes to the men and women who protect us 24 hours a day at the Capitol. I
pray for their safety.”
He added that he wished the presidential election result had been different.
“To say I am disappointed in the election’s results is an understatement,” Latta said.
However, “I have taken a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I take
that oath very seriously.
“The Constitution does not grant Congress the authority to overturn elections and overrule state and
federal courts. We must preserve the Electoral College as outlined in the Constitution because without
it, the entire landscape of electing the president would be irreparably altered for the worse. It is for
these reasons that I will cast my vote to uphold the Constitution, and I cannot support the objections.”

Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matthew Reger is considered an expert in elections.
“I can say, as a lawyer, as a person who has monitored elections overseas and as a person who has been
intimately involved with elections for over 20 years, that I have the highest faith and belief in our
systems of law, justice and Constitutional provisions,” he said. “I think that if we trust in those
processes and obey the rule of law that we will move past what is happening in Washington today.”
Ohio Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, also called for an end to the violence.
“As an American I am appalled with what I am seeing unfold as individuals breached security and stormed
the United States Capitol this afternoon,” he said in a statement. “I fully support the rights of
Americans to peacefully protest, but strongly condemn all forms of violence whether at the United States
Capitol or our Statehouse in Columbus. Law and order must be immediately restored.”
Ohio Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, said in a Twitter statement that all acts of violence are
unacceptable and embarrassing.
“We are better than this,” she said. “Cooler heads must prevail, and I urge the violence at the Capitol
to stop at once.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called for Trump to step up and stop the violence.
“This is an embarrassment to our country. This must stop immediately. The President should call for the
demonstrators to leave our Capitol Building,” DeWine said in a statement. “The final step in the
constitutional process of electing our president has been disrupted. The stopping of the count of the
Electoral College votes has occurred because the security of the U.S. Capitol has been breached by a
violent mob. As a nation of laws, this is simply not acceptable. Lawlessness is not acceptable. This is
an affront to our Constitution and everything we hold dear. Those who breached the Capitol breached the
Constitution. Peaceful demonstrations outside the Capitol are an exercise of the demonstrators’ First
Amendment rights. Stopping the constitutional process by which we elect the president is not.”