Marcell Steve Strbich
Marcell Strbich | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marcell Steve Strbich March 12, 1982 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Nicole Theisen |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Indiana University (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 2004–2024 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Marcell Steve Strbich (born March 12, 1982) is an American retired United States Air Force intelligence officer and political candidate. He is a Republican running in the 2026 Ohio Secretary of State election. Strbich became known for his election integrity advocacy after filing a legal complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court related to poll worker training, and for co-authoring proposed election-reform legislation.[1][2]
Early life and education
Strbich was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to Croatian-American parents. He graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep in 2000 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs and Policy Studies from Indiana University. During college, he participated in Air Force ROTC and was commissioned in 2004.
Military career
Strbich served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in July 2024. His service included:
- Airborne intelligence deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Strategic and special operations intelligence roles across Africa and Europe.
- Assignment to the Pentagon’s Joint Staff and Air Force intelligence commands.[3]
Election integrity advocacy
After his military retirement, Strbich began advocating for election reforms in Ohio:
- In spring 2024, he testified in support of Ohio House Bill 472, which included measures like optional manual paper ballot counting.[2]
- On September 30, 2024, he filed **State ex rel. Strbich v. Montgomery County Board of Elections** with the Ohio Supreme Court, arguing poll workers were not trained to identify non-citizen IDs. The court partially ruled in his favor, mandating updated training.[4][5]
- He has raised concerns about non-citizen voter registrations, citing data from clean-up efforts.[6]
2026 Secretary of State campaign
In May 2025, Strbich announced his candidacy for Ohio Secretary of State. His platform includes:
- Requiring proof of citizenship and voter ID.
- Paper ballots only, elimination of drop boxes.
- In-person voting with precinct-based processing.[7]
See also
- Ohio Secretary of State election, 2026
References
- ↑ "New Voting Legislation Being Reconsidered in Ohio". Columbus Underground. May 5, 2025. Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ohio Supreme Court complaint centers on election training in Montgomery County". Dayton Daily News. October 23, 2024. Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Ohio Elections Still Compliant with 2005 Security Standards". UncoverDC. June 7, 2024. Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "State ex rel. Strbich v. Montgomery County Board of Elections". Justia. Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Poll workers express concern over lack of ID training ahead of elections". WDTN. October 7, 2024. Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Ohio NGOs Irregular Voter Registrations Exposed". True the Vote. Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Priorities – Strbich for Ohio". Retrieved July 2025. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help)
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