COLUMBUS — Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today again rejected the Lucas County Republican Party Executive Committee’s choice for a seat on the bipartisan county board of elections.

Mr. Husted, also a Republican, pointed to a public reprimand and a $5,000 fine imposed by a disciplinary arm of the Ohio Supreme Court against Ottawa Hills attorney Mark Davis.

“I find the judgment of the five-judge commission that Mr. Davis engaged in a ‘clear and deliberate effort…to deceive the public’ is conclusive evidence that Mr. Davis would not be a competent member of the board,” Mr. Husted wrote in his letter to party Chairman Jon Stainbrook.

State law requires Mr. Husted to accept the party’s recommendation unless he has reason to believe the would-be member would not be a competent addition to the board.

“The appointment of Mr. Davis would not inspire confidence in the election system, improve the function or culture of the Board, or uphold public trust and confidence in the Board,” he wrote.

He noted that the disciplinary commission had determined that Mr. Davis had engaged in a “clear and deliberate effort” to deceive county voters when he ran for Toledo Municipal Court. The panel had determined he had deceptively promoted himself as having six college degrees when he had two and continued to do so even after being ordered to stop.

“I think the law says that if a person is qualified and nominated by the local party, then that’s an appropriate pick,” Mr. Davis said. “I received 100 percent unanimous vote from the local Republican Party. I’m in good standing with the Ohio Supreme Court. I’m a licensed attorney, and I believe I am competent. I respectfully disagree with his position.”

Although he stressed that he did not give them weight in making his decision, Mr. Husted pointed to news articles about a number of other allegations that have also been made against Mr. Davis.

Mr. Davis, 47, was selected by the party to replace attorney Mark Wagoner, Sr., whose term will expire at the end of the month.

Mr. Husted today approved the county Democratic Party’s choice of party Chairman Joshua Hughes, 39, an attorney who lost his bid for re-election to Oregon City Council in November. Mr. Husted’s office said Mr. Hughes could be sworn in as soon as Friday in Columbus.

He will replace Democrat John Irish.

Mr. Wagoner was one of three board members, two Republicans and one Democrat, who were appointed to the four-member board in 2014 by Mr. Husted after he removed board members, including Mr. Stainbrook, who he felt contributed to a “dysfunctional culture.”

In the process, Mr. Husted rejected the two replacements offered by the local Republican Party. The GOP Executive Committee unsuccessfully challenged his action before the state Supreme Court.

The party has the option of submitting a new name for Mr. Husted’s consideration or it could again try to get a court order to force the secretary’s hand.

“Appointing someone who has been reprimanded by both the Ohio and Michigan Supreme Courts for deliberately deceiving the public during an election,would jeopardize the good-faith efforts made by the Lucas County Board of Elections to rebuild after dealing with the dysfunction that plagued them in the past," Mr. Husted said. “The voters of Lucas County deserve better and I will do my part to ensure they get it,” he said.

The Michigan reprimand was tied to the disciplinary action taken by Ohio.

First Published February 22, 2016, 5:41 p.m.