The Honorable Dave Burke

By Impact Ohio | October 5, 2020

Senator Dave Burke proudly represents the families and communities of Ohio’s 26th Senate District, which includes all of Union, Crawford, Marion, Morrow, Sandusky, Seneca and Wyandot counties.

Looking to help improve his community, Senator Burke was elected to Marysville City Council in 2002 and became Vice-President of the Council in 2005. In 2008, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives and was re-elected again in 2010. While in the House, Burke pushed for legislation – now law – that addresses the growing problem of prescription drug abuse in Ohio and helps keep synthetic drugs out of the hands of young Ohioans.

As a member of the Ohio Senate, Burke puts his extensive knowledge and expertise of the healthcare industry to work as Chairman of the Medicaid Committee. He also serves as a member of the Agriculture Committee, Finance Committee, Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Financial Institutions Committee, and Rules and Reference Committee.

Senator Burke has been recognized numerous times for his work in the legislature. He was named Legislator of the Year in 2012 by NAMI Ohio, and recently by the Ohio Association of Election Officials. He has also been recognized by the Ohio Pharmacists Association (2012 Good Government Award), the Ohio Psychological Association (2012 Public Service Award), Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging (2011 Elected Official Advocacy Award), and Voices for Ohio’s Children (Champion for Children’s Healthcare).

Born in Cincinnati, he was adopted by his loving parents in Marion when he was 3 months old. As a child, he attended St. Mary’s elementary and later graduated from Marion Catholic High School. He then went on to graduate from Ohio Northern University with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and later obtained an MBA from Capital University. Since 1997, he and his wife have owned and operated Dave’s Pharmacy in Marysville, Ohio.

Senator Burke has been married to his wife Donna for more than 20 years and has two wonderful children, Alexandra and Adam.