Florkiewicz is the third Cuyahoga County Board of Elections member to comply with Ohio Secretary of Sate Jennifer Brunner's demand that all four members resign to make way for new leadership. The board's two democratic members - Lori Soggs and Ed Coaxum, both handed in their resignations last week.
Explaining her decision, Florkiewicz said in a written statement that Brunner, a democrat, is using the board of elections to advance a partisan agenda, and she's not willing to be used as a political statement. County GOP Chairman Rob Frost says he also sees partisanship at play.
Rob Frost: You have the newly installed state election official who happens to be a democrat taking on the most effective state party chairman in the nation - the guy who delivered the state to George Bush to get him re-elected. I don't think that's a coincidence there.
That state party chairman is Bob Bennett, the only remaining member of the Cuyahoga County Elections Board. He declined to comment Tuesday, except to say that he's hired an attorney to represent him in his effort to keep his seat.