The 134th General Assembly has begun, and there are 19 new Republicans and four new Democrats joining the legislative body. We are excited to welcome these representatives to the Ohio House of Representatives.
Marilyn John (R), representing the 2nd House District (Richland County), won this seat after former Representative Mark Romanchuk (R) left to successfully run for a state senate seat. Prior to her election, she attended Ashland University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing and a Master of Business Administration. Rep. John is the former Mayor of Shelby, as well as a Richland County Commissioner. Her policy interests include the economy and job growth.
Bob Young (R), representing the 36th House District (parts of Summit County), was elected following the retirement of former Representative Anthony DeVitis (R). Rep. Young was previously a Green City Councilman, as well as a small business owner and auctioneer. His policy interests include small business, education, and state and local government.
Andrea White (R), representing the 41st State House district (Kettering), was elected following the term expiration of incumbent Representative Jim Butler (R). An experienced public servant, Rep. White was previously the Kettering Municipal Court Clerk of Court from 2004-2020. She was also previously a small business owner. Rep. White’s policy interests include COVID-19, healthcare, public safety, the economy, and education.
Tom Young (R), representing the 42nd House District (Montgomery County), was elected after former Representative Niraj Antani vacated the seat for the State Senate. Rep. Young was previously a member of the Montgomery County Board of Elections and on the Board of Trustees at Wright State University. He was a wealth management executive, as well as the founding board member of Dayton School and Business Technology.
Rodney Creech (R), representing the 43rd House District (part of Montgomery County) was elected following the vacancy from former Representative Todd Smith (R). Rep. Creech is a business owner and farmer, and was previously a Twin Township Trustee and a Preble County Commissioner. His policy interests include education, jobs, lower taxes, the drug epidemic, Right to Life, and protecting the Second Amendment.
Jennifer Gross (R), representing the 52nd House District (part of Butler County), was elected to the seat after the former Representative, George Lang, made a successful bid for the Ohio Senate. Rep. Gross is a family nurse practitioner. Her policy interests include Right to Life, protecting the Second Amendment, lower taxes, and small government.
Thomas Hall (R), representing the 53rd House District (part of Butler County), was elected following the vacancy left by former Representative Candice Keller. Rep. Hall, who is the now the youngest member of the Ohio House of Representatives, attended Miami University where he received a bachelor’s degree in small business management. He was a Madison Township Trustee, as well as a Client Manager at LexisNexis. Rep. Hall’s policy interests include Right to Life, protecting the Second Amendment, small business, school safety, and farmers.
Alessandro Cutrona (R), representing the 59th House District (part of Mahoning County) was appointed, and subsequently elected, to his position following the death of the incumbent Representative Don Manning (R). Rep. Cutrona is a practicing Attorney in Canfield. His policy interests include cost recovery for his district’s sewage program and law.
Mike Loychik (R), representing the 63rd House District (part of Trumbull County), flipped this seat following the retirement of former Representative Glenn Holmes (D). Rep. Loychik served in the U.S. Air Force as a C-130 Crew Chief with a special operations group and a combat search and rescue group. He is also a small business owner in Cortland. Rep. Loychik’s policy interests include the protection of the Second Amendment, energy, agriculture, and labor.
Jean Schmidt (R), representing the 65th House District (part of Clermont County), was elected following the term expiration of incumbent Representative John Becker (R). Although Rep. Schmidt is a freshman in the 134th General Assembly, she is no newcomer to politics. She previously was a member of Ohio’s 124th General Assembly from the 71st House District. Rep. Schmidt is also a former U.S. Representative, representing Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District from 2005-2013. Recently, she has been teaching Government and the Constitution at Chatfield College. Her policy interests include funding, the opioid epidemic, Right to Life, and protecting the Second Amendment.
Adam Bird (R), representing the 66th House District (Brown County and part of Clermont County), was elected following the retirement of previous Representative Doug Green (R). Rep. Bird is a member of the Clermont County Library of Trustees and a retired Superintendent of New Richmond EVSD. His policy interests include education and fighting the opioid epidemic.
Sharon Ray (R), representing the 69th House District (part of Medina County), was elected following the term expiration of Representative Steve Hambley (R). Rep. Ray is a public service veteran, having served as a Medina County Commissioner, a Wadsworth City Councilwoman, and a member of the Medina County Board of Elections. Her main policy interest is law enforcement.
Brian Lampton (R), representing the 73rd House District (part of Greene County) won this seat following the retirement of previous Representative Rick Perales (R). Rep. Lampton, a University of Dayton graduate, was on the Greene County Board of Elections and the President of Lampton/Engle and Associates Insurance and Financial Services. His policy interests include local business, jobs, lower taxes, small government, protecting the Second Amendment, law enforcement, and healthcare costs.
Gail Pavliga (R), representing the 75th House District (part of Portage County), beat the incumbent representative, Randi Clites (D), in an extremely tight race. A community activist, Rep. Pavliga is Christian-based counselor and a professor at Malone University. Her policy interests include education, combatting the opioid crisis, gun control, and the economy.
Brian Stewart (R), representing the 78th House District (Morgan, Hocking, part of Pickaway, Fairfield, Athens and Muskingum Counties), was elected following Representative Ron Hood’s (R) term expiration. Rep. Stewart, an Ashville native, is a practicing attorney at Farthing and Stewart. He is a U.S. Army Iraq War Veteran and a former Pickaway County Commissioner. His policy interests include lower taxes, jobs, religious liberties, Right to Life, protection of the Second Amendment, and small government.
Gary Click (R), representing the 88th House District (Sandusky and part of Seneca Counties) was elected following incumbent Representative Bill Reineke’s (R) departure for the state senate. Rep. Click is a pastor and extremely involved in his community. His policy interests include Right to Life, small government, lower taxes, and wind turbines.
Mark Johnson (R), representing the 92nd House District (Fayette County, parts of Pickaway and Ross Counties) was elected following the term expiration of Representative Mark Scherer (R). Rep. Johnson is on the Ohio Consumers Council Board, as well as the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Rail Development Commission. He is a carpenter by trade, and is currently the manager at the Tri-State Building Trades Council. Rep. Johnson’s policy interests include Right to Life, transportation, and construction.
Ron Ferguson (R), representing the 96th House District (Jefferson and Monroe Counties, part of Belmont County) flipped this previously Democratic seat after the term expiration of Representative Jack Cera (D). Rep. Ferguson, an Ohio State Graduate, is a former television journalist and currently developing an entertainment center in Eastern Ohio. His policy interests include the economy, jobs, and protecting the Second Amendment.
Sarah Arthur Fowler (R), representing the 99th House District, flipped this seat following the retirement of Representative John Patterson (D). Rep. Fowler was a member of the State Board of Education, and is the first home-schooled member in the Board’s history. She is a small business owner, consultant, and the Director of Marketing at Fowler Enterprises. Her policy interests include education and small business.
Dontavious Jarrells (D), representing the 25th House District (part of Franklin County), was elected following the retirement of Representative Bernadine Kent (D). After Rep. Jarrells’ graduation from Hiram College, he became an LSC fellow and, later, a Statehouse staffer. He is was the Chief of Communications for the Franklin County Treasurer and worked at the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services before running for office in 2020. His policy interests include equal pay, education, fair treatment for all people, and senior citizens.
Monique Smith (D), representing the 16th House District (part of Cuyahoga), beat incumbent Representative Dave Greenspan (R) in a highly competitive race. Rep. Smith, an Ohio State graduate, was a member of the Lakewood City Council and works in sales and marketing. Her policy interests include the economy, environment, education, health care, and gun safety.
Willis Blackshear (D), representing the 39th House District (part of Montgomery County), was elected following the term expiration of the previous representative, Fred Strahorn (D). Rep. Blackshear is an outreach specialist with Montgomery County Auditor’s Office. His policy interests include gun safety, education, and investing in our communities.
Dan Troy (D), representing the 60th House District (part of Lake County), was elected after incumbent Representative John Rogers’ (D) term expiration. Rep. Troy is no newcomer to the Statehouse, as he previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1983-1996. He is a former Lake County Commissioner and a member of the Willowick City Council. His policy interests include COVID-19, seniors, first responders, school funding, and redistricting.
Welcome to the Ohio House of Representatives!
