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A caucus speaker vote this week could kick off a leadership battle for the Ohio House GOP

By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
Posted on: Monday, November 18, 2024

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — On Wednesday the newly elected and re-elected Republicans in the Ohio House will vote for their next leader. That meeting two years ago kicked off a battle between lawmakers who supported Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Twp.) in that private session, and those who backed Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), who won the House floor vote for speaker a few weeks later.

Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) ran unopposed for the House, and has long said he’ll run for speaker. He said this week he can’t talk what he plans to say in the private caucus meeting.

“I do have a resume of things that I’ve done in the legislature and most recently with Issue 1, and I’m going to be sending that out to the members for their review,” Huffman said. “But it’s a private meeting no one’s supposed to talk about.”

But Huffman suggested he’ll stress that he feels he can unite GOP House members.

“It’s difficult when, in effect, you have three caucuses,” Huffman told reporters. “When it’s two sides versus three, in contentious issues, it’s easier to get to a conclusion.”

“In order to bring those things to a conclusion for clarity, which I think the public it’s very important to the public and to have clarity, a simple two-party vote helps resolve that more quickly.”

At least 1,015 bills have been proposed in the House and Senate in this two-year legislative session. Before the lame duck session begins, 55 bills have passed – including two in a special session this spring. That’s the lowest total approved by Ohio lawmakers in the last 50 years.

Stephens is expected to run to reclaim the speakership he won last year with 22 Republicans and all 32 Democrats. A Republican lawmaker suggests it’s possible the candidates could work out something before the vote.

A message asking for comment from Stephens was not returned. He didn’t take questions from reporters as legislative action resumed this week at the Statehouse following a four-month break for the election.

Four of the Republican House members who had backed Stephens lost their primary races in March: Reps. Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton), Rep. Jon Cross (R-Findlay), Brett Hillyer (R-Urichsville), and Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater).

But not all of those who supported Merrin, who was term-limited and didn’t run for re-election, will throw their support behind Huffman. Rep. Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville), a top Merrin backer, said he’s strongly considering jumping into the speaker’s race as well.