In Medina County, Like Washington, U.S. Supreme Court Vacancy Is Partisan

The current partisan battle over whether a president should be able to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court in an election year is reminiscent of 2016, when Senate Republicans pushed to hold off on filling Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat until after the election.

A freshly sworn-in President Donald Trump made the appointment instead of President Barack Obama, who was in office when Scalia passed away that February.

Now, it's the Democrats who want to wait until next year to fill the vacancy on the court left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And the partisanship on the question isn't contained by the Beltway.

Former Ohio Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Renacci, now chair of the Republican Party of Medina County, said politics should not get in the way of the nomination.

"He has the right, as did President Obama, to appoint somebody. And I think the Senate should follow through and also do their constitutional duty of the evaluation,” Renacci said. "There will be those who say it should be delayed. There will be those who say it should go forward. I would say the process should just work. And if the process works in Washington and across our great country, it will always be the right things will occur."

Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack, chair of the Medina County Democrats, said he expects Democrats to lose the argument again.

"The Republicans are going to appoint that Supreme Court justice. They can do that, but let's make certain that that just shows the hypocrisy and the lack of principle in the Republican Party because you had the identical situation four years ago and they went one way," Kovack said.

Trump is expected to announce his nominee at 5 p.m. Saturday.