COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Supporters of Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens emerged from the primaries mostly unscathed.
A dozen Republican legislators who sided with Democrats to elect Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) as House Speaker last year faced challengers on Tuesday in what analysts and lawmakers called an unprecedented primary election. By Wednesday morning, eight had defeated anti-Stephens candidates. But several of those who were usurped faced landslide defeats.
The primaries were the latest battleground where the power struggle among Republican lawmakers played out. Last year, 22 Republicans joined Democratic representatives in naming Stephens as speaker instead of the more conservative Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Twp.), to the dismay of the rest of the Republican party.
A dozen of those 22 Republicans – known by some anti-Stephens lawmakers as the “Blue 22” – faced challengers in a bitter primary election. Hanging in the balance is the speakership position itself; Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) is hoping to unseat Stephens.
But it’s more than just who holds the gavel at the end of the day. Despite their dual-chamber supermajority, Republicans have struggled to pass legislation, sending just 15 bills to the governor’s desk last year. Disagreements between the Senate and House on how to regulate adult-use cannabis has stalled the rollout of recreational marijuana. And the feud between Stephens and Huffman delayed an already-rushed political mapmaking process as neither could agree on who to name as redistricting chair.
The four Stephens-supporting Republicans who appeared to lose their races were:
- Assistant Majority Floor Leader Jon Cross (Findlay), who lost 35% to 65% to Ty Mathews, an Army platoon leader who aims to “carry on the legacies of tough conservatives like Congressman Jim Jordan,” according to his campaign website
- Rep. Sara Carruthers (Hamilton), who lost 47% to 53% to Diane Mullins, pastor of Calvary Church in Hamilton
- Rep. Brett Hillyer (Uhrichsville), who lost 41% to 59% to Jodi Salvo
- Rep. Gail Pavliga (Portage County), who lost 39% to 61% to Heidi Workman
The eight Stephens-supporting Republicans who appeared to win their races were:
- Rep. Haraz Ghambari (Perrysburg), who defeated Sally Culling 54% to 46%
- Rep. Cindy Abrams (Harrison) who defeated George Brunemann 59% to 41%
- Rep. Jean Schmidt (Loveland), who managed a tight 52% to 48% win over Dillion Blevins
- Rep. Kevin Miller (Newark), who beat Daniel Kalmbach 60% to 40%
- Rep. Jeff LaRe (Violet Township), who beat Mike Tussey 55% to 45%
- Rep. Tracy Richardson (Marysville), who won her race against Wezlynn Davis 60% to 40%
- Rep. D.J. Swearingen (Huron), who defeated former Rep. Steve Kraus 65% to 35%
- Rep. Don Jones (Freeport), who beat Nelson Roe 66% to 33%