Rep. West loses re-election bid, other incumbents returning to Statehouse

Most of the legislators representing Stark County residents at Ohio's Statehouse will remain unchanged despite temporary boundaries prompted by redistricting disputes. The only upset of the night was in the 49th House District, where Republican Jim Thomas defeated incumbent Democrat Thomas West.

The boundaries of District 49 previously included Canton, Massillon and southern Stark County but now encompass Canton, Plain Township and Jackson Township. West, a former Canton councilman, was first elected to the House in 2016.

Unofficial election results showed long-term legislators Republican Rep. Scott Oelslager and Republican Sen. Kirk Schuring cruising to victory Tuesday night. Republican Reps. Reggie Stoltzfus and Brett Hudson Hillyer were unopposed and won re-election to the 50th and 51st House districts, respectively.

Ohio House 49th District: Thomas West vs. Jim Thomas

With 99% of precincts reporting, Thomas received about 53.7% of the vote while West received about 46.3%.

Thomas, who was elected to the Jackson Township Board of Trustees in 2020, did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday night. He has said his goals are to support economic development, education and tax reductions.

"I've been interested in public service for quite a while," he previously told The Canton Repository. "I'm interested in helping people and helping our community and I feel like this is the best avenue for me to do that."

Thomas was born and raised in Plain Township and traveled to 50 countries as a professional tennis player. He is president of JT Linwood Co., which manages residential rental properties.

More:Incumbents in 48th, 49th House districts face challengers in general election

West is in his third term at the Ohio House and was elected assistant minority leader earlier this year.

"We knew that it was gonna be a tight race based on the new gerrymandering that occurred, and districts, of course, we didn't know, and getting to know new voters," he said. "But even more than that, I just got to be clear that we accept the results of the election, of each election that was held across the state."

West said hewill continue advocating for individuals and families for the remainder of the year. He wished Thomas success in representing the "Grind 49" and is committed to building a strong Democratic base in Stark County for future elections.

"I'm proud of the work that we've done, proud of the race that we ran," West said.

His accomplishments include a bipartisan bill to lower prescription drug prices and securing a $389,000 state grant for a Greater Stark County Urban League workforce development program. He's also sponsored House Bill 508, which seeks to make equal child custody the default in divorce cases.

Ohio House 48th District: Scott Oelslager vs. David Smith

Oelslager has served about 37 years in the state legislature and will continue his stay in Columbus. Voters re-elected him Tuesday, and he won by about 39 percentage points with all but one precinct reporting.

Democratic challenger David Smith, of Alliance, received more than 14,500 votes. But It wasn't enough for the U.S. Army veteran to win what would've been his first political office.

Economic concerns were a top issue for both candidates.

Oelslager touted his experience as an asset that'll help him improve the quality of life for Ohioans. He plans to continue to reform state taxes, maintain transportation infrastructure, and financially support Stark County projects.

"I want to thank the people of the 48th District for the for the support they've given me this evening," Oelslager said. "No matter how many times you run for office, you're always very humbled when people put their faith in you to represent their views in the state capitol."

Oelslager serves as the chairman of the House Finance Committee and sponsored the state budget, which implemented the Fair School Funding Plan and allocated money for first responders. He said he looks forward to continuing to work on these issues for his constituents.

The previous 48th House District covered an area between Canton and Massillon and extended into Jackson Township and North Canton. The current boundaries are mostly northeast of Canton.

Ohio Senate 29th District: Kirk Schuring defeats Lynn Gorman

Schuring, who has been in the state legislature for 30 consecutive years, won his fourth term in the Ohio Senate. He received about 95.8% of the votes and his opponent − independent write-in candidate Lynn Gorman − received 4.2%, according to incomplete and unofficial results.

Schuring did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

More:Kirk Schuring faces challenge from write-in candidate

Schuring previously said economic development has been a priority throughout his career. He has authored bills that established joint economic development districts, tourism development districts and other economic initiatives.

Tuesday's election was Gorman's first campaign for public office. The Lake Township resident told The Canton Repository that she wanted voters to have a choice and was most concerned about the economy and voting rights.

The 29th Ohio Senate District still covers most of Stark County but gained the northwest corner while losing southwest portions in this year's map change.

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn Twitter: @kbyerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: West loses re-election bid, other incumbents returning to Statehouse