The Republican Central Committee will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 17, to determine who will represent the party on the county board of elections. The committee must choose a successor to Carl Lilly, who is not running again for the board. Currently Randy Lambert, Mary Wipert and Harriet Scragg are vying for the seat.

The four-member board is made up of two Democrats — Craig Allen and Mark McCown — and two Republicans. Freddie Hayes is the GOP’s representative.

This is the second time for Scragg of Proctorville who is chair of the central committee. Scragg tried for a board seat in 2010 when longtime board member Bob Griffith did not seek another term. Scragg lost to Hayes by four votes with the final tally 28 to 24.

Scragg, who represents the eastern end of the county, is campaigning on her experience.

“I don’t think we the people are getting a fair shake,” she said. “We want free, honest elections.”

Ironton attorney Lambert, who ran for state representative in the 1980s, is running on his record as a lawyer and his handling of litigation work for other boards of elections.

“I have experience with the laws and procedures of the board of elections,” Lambert said. “The Democrats have two attorneys as board members. The Republican Party should have at least one attorney.”

Wipert, former director of the board of elections office, is also campaigning on her experience.

Wipert ran the board office from 1992 to 2007, when she was fired from the post. The board refused to state publicly any reason for its action. About a year later the Republican Party nominated Wipert to the board, but then Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner refused to seat Wipert. Wipert is currently treasurer of the party.

Wipert said she can offer to the post “my knowledge of the office, my knowledge of election laws. I am one of four. It is a four-member board. I will be there to represent my party and the people of Lawrence County.”

The central committee will meet at 7 p.m. at the courtroom of Common Pleas Judge Charles Cooper.

The term on the board is for four years.