Election 2022: Here's who is running in Ohio House races in Franklin County
Whether you've been following Ohio's redistricting saga or not, you're probably voting in a new House of Representatives district for the Nov. 8 general election.
A months-long redistricting fight over charges of gerrymandering by Ohio's Republican-controlled state government means residents voting in this year's midterms will use maps declared unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court. Franklin Country previously included 10 Ohio House districts. Under the new map, now there are 12 districts.
If your voting district has changed (which you can find out using the Secretary of State's Find My District tool online,) your representatives may have changed, too.
The Dispatch attempted to reach out to all 16 candidates running in contested races for House seats in Franklin County districts. Some did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment.
There are eight contested races in these midterms. Four races are have Democrats running unopposed: Dontavius Jarrells in District 1, Latyna M. Humphrey in District 2, Allison Russo in District 7 and Munira Yasin Abdullahi in District 9.
Here's a roundup of candidates running in contested races for Ohio House of Representatives seats from Franklin County:
District 3
This district includes the Arena District, the Short North, parts of the University District, North Linden, parts of Old North Columbus, parts of the Northeast Side and Easton.
Ismail Mohamed, a Democrat, is one of the city's first Somali-born attorneys licensed to practice in Ohio. In 2018, Mohamed ran in the Democratic primary against then-incumbent Rep. Bernadine Kennedy Kent of District 25 and narrowly lost by 658 votes.
According to his campaign website, Mohamed said he is running for state office to ensure students have access to a high-quality education regardless of ZIP code, to invest in communities through affordable housing, and to promote workforce development programs.
Mohamed did not respond to a request for comment from The Dispatch.
J. Josiah Lanning, a public policy advocate from North Linden, is the Republican candidate. He is a self-described "political outsider," "policy innovator" and "individual rights champion," according to his campaign website.
Lanning's priorities, according to his website, include adopting a penal system that is tough on crime while also ensuring fairness for formerly incarcerated individuals, tightening the state budget, suspending Ohio's gas tax for at least one year, making Ohio more accessible for disabled and elderly residents, and education reforms to "empower parents to be in complete control of their child's education."
Lanning did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment.
District 4
This district covers the northeast corner of Franklin County, including parts of Westerville, Gahanna, New Albany and parts of the Blacklick mailing address.
Mary Lightbody is an incumbent Democrat from Westerville currently serving her second term representing the Ohio 19th House District. For the last three decades, Lightbody was an educator at the K-12 and collegiate level, most recently as a senior lecturer at Ohio State University's Newark campus.
Lightbody's priorities include easy access to birth control and accurate contraceptive education, access to free or low-cost quality healthcare, education and job training; and funding municipal services like fire, police and social services.
"I have a reputation in the Statehouse and in the district as a hard-working, thoughtful, attentive, and commonsense member," Lightbody told The Dispatch. "I am running for re-election to continue the work I have started and to explore and identify shared values and common ground to make the promise of democracy real for everyone."
Jill Rudler, a realtor from New Albany, is the Republican challenger.
With more than four decades of real estate experience and 20 years of working with the advocacy groups Columbus Realtors and Ohio Realtors to protect private property rights, Rudler decided to run for state office to advocate for even more Ohioans. Rudler said the biggest issues for her district are safe neighborhoods, quality schools and a strong economy.
Rudler told The Dispatch that she "has worked with people to find a common thread to help all sides reach reasonable compromises when needed. She said she intends "to use her business experiences to serve as an effective and successful State Representative accomplishing important work for her future constituents."
District 5
This district covers a swath of southern Franklin County, including Galloway, Darbydale, Lockbourne, Obetz, parts of Canal Winchester and Reynoldsburg.
Richard Brown is the incumbent Democrat from Canal Winchester currently representing Ohio House of Representatives District 20. Brown was appointed to the seat in 2017, finishing the last year and a half of his predecessor’s term. He has held his seat in two elections since and is seeking his third full term in the House, in addition to being a lawyer.
Some of the issues Brown prioritizes include investing in public infrastructure, making sure teachers have the flexibility and resources they need to teach all children, and connecting veterans with housing, job-readiness and mental health services.
"I bring experiences to the House that my opponent cannot bring: life experience, legislative experience, leadership experience and legal experience," Brown told The Dispatch. "These experiences make me the best candidate for this House seat. I will continue the work I have been doing for more than five years, working across the aisle, working with people of both parties, to find solutions to the important issues facing our great State of Ohio."
Ronald Beach IV is a Republican from Obetz running to replace Brown. Beach is a graduate student at Ohio State University, a healthcare worker and serves in the Ohio Army National Guard.
As a self-described young conservative, Beach told The Dispatch his focus will be on economic development, supporting law enforcement and strategic funding of education and post-secondary options like trade schools should he be elected.
"This race is about having a Representative that gives their undivided attention to District 5 to address its needs and to ensure this community is left thriving," Beach said.
District 6
This district includes parts of the Hilltop, Lincoln Village and the Far West Side.
Adam Miller is an incumbent Democrat currently seeking a fourth term as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing District 17. He is a former teacher and school board member, and has served 26 years in Army JAG Corps.
Miller told The Dispatch that he has opposed "extreme and reckless gun laws" and has introduced multiple "common-sense" solutions to gun violence. He has also prioritized efforts to increase access and affordability to housing, health care, and mental health and addiction services.
"In a time of unnecessary hyper-partisanship, I have fought for Ohio and put its people over politics," Miller said.
Joe Wharton, the Republican challenger, is an independent contractor and former Prairie Township trustee.
Wharton said he is running for state office to improve neighborhoods through public-private partnerships, redevelop struggling businesses, and ensure funding fire, police and community services for mental health crisis interventions.
"We need to come together as a community and move away from being divided," Wharton told The Dispatch. "Stop looking at neighbors as adversaries and just see neighbors. We need common sense legislation and bring stability and rationality back to governing."
District 8
This district includes the Northwest Side, Far Northwest Side, Worthington and parts of Clintonville.
Dr. Beth Liston is the incumbent Democrat currently serving her second term representing Ohio House District 21. She began her career in medicine and is now a professor of clinical internal medicine and pediatrics at Ohio State University.
In the General Assembly, Rep. Liston serves as the ranking member on the House Health Committee, and sits on the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee, the Families Aging and Human Services Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Liston told The Dispatch her priorities include expanding access to healthcare and affordable medicines, as well as policies that "impact opportunity" including public education and financial security.
"As a doctor, I have seen first hand the harm that can come from laws driven by ideology and not fact," Liston said. "If re-elected, I will continue to work for the people of my district, advocating for common sense bills that improve people's lives."
Zully Truemper is the Republican challenger running for District 8's House seat who won in the August special election as a write-in candidate. Originally from Venezuela, she currently works as a bilingual agent at the customer support company iQor in New Albany.
Truemper describes herself as "Pro-Life, Pro-2nd Amendment, Pro-Trump," has an "Ohio First Agenda," and prioritizes "opportunities above entitlements" and "law and order," according to her campaign Facebook page.
Truemper did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment.
District 10
This district includes parts of the Hilltop, Southwest Columbus, Grove City and parts of the Far South Side.
Russell Harris, a longtime government relations consultant and lobbyist for the Ohio Education Association, is running as a Democrat to represent the new 10th House District. As a former educator, the Grove City resident has long history of working in Ohio education policy, including an appointment by former Gov. Bob Taft to the Ohio Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding to address the inequities in our system.
Improving education outcomes then is a top priority for Harris, according to his campaign website. Harris also is in favor of university-based partnerships for economic development, community mental health services and combating drug abuse.
Harris did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment.
David Dobos is a Republican also vying for the new House district. Dobos, a former Columbus City school board president from the West Side, is president of Sheridan WorldWise, Inc., a supplier of STEM educational materials to schools and school districts.
According to his campaign website, Dobos is in favor of increased school funding for additional security and mental health services, increasing funds for police, better infrastructure, less regulation and growing Ohio's economy through state and regional partnerships.
Dobos did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment.
District 11
This district covers the northwest corner of Franklin County, including Hilliard and Dublin.
Dr. Anita Somani is an OB-GYN from Columbus who is running as a Democrat for the 11th Ohio House District.
Somani told The Dispatch that issues she cares about include access to health care, stopping restrictive laws against abortion and LGBTQ people, education, gun safety and the environment.
"Over the past 30 years of living in Ohio, I have been worried that our state has gone down the wrong path in regards to health care and increasing maternal and infant mortality, more abortion restrictions, less gun restrictions and marginalizing communities," she said. "... I believe I will bring a fresh perspective to the Statehouse as a physician, a woman of color and an Asian American."
Omar Tarazi, an attorney and Hilliard City Council vice president, is a Republican looking to represent District 11.
Before joining city council, Tarazi served on the Hilliard Board of Zoning Appeals and continues to serve on both the Ethics Committee and Admissions Committee of the Columbus Bar Association. If elected, Tarazi said he would bring additional state funding to support economic development in the district, work on education reform and use his experience as an attorney to "make sure that balanced, well-thought-out laws are passed for Ohio."
"I led in transforming Hilliard while maintaining and enhancing its unique identity as a great place to raise a family and if I am elected, I will lead in bringing reforms to Ohio to secure a bright and prosperous future for our state," Tarazi told The Dispatch.
District 12
This district covers a small sliver of northwestern Franklin County, including Hillard and Dublin, and mostly represents Madison and Pickaway counties.
Brian Stewart, the incumbent Republican from Asheville, currently represents Ohio 78th House District. Stewart is also an attorney and an Iraq War veteran. He is the former vice president and spokesman for the Ohio Fallen Heroes Memorial, a statewide memorial for Ohio service members killed in the line of duty since 9/11.
Stewart's priorities include being "watchdog when it comes to taxpayer money," expanding broadband internet to rural communities, and partnering with local governments for state resources, according to his campaign website.
Stewart did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment.
Matthew Briner is a write-in candidate running as an Independent to replace Stewart. A Pickaway County native, Briner has experience as an independent public auditor for local governments and nonprofits, and he currently works as an accountant.
"I’m tired of culture wars and divisive politics that divide our country," Briner told the Dispatch. "I’m a believer in reaching across the aisle to achieve good policies for the majority of the people, even on contentious issues."
shendrix@dispatch.com
@sheridan120
Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio House 2022 vote: Who's running for Franklin County seats?
