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The Mahoning Valley’s three new Ohio House members have different political backgrounds
YOUNGSTOWN
The three incoming freshman Ohio House members who’ll represent the Mahoning Valley come from different political backgrounds.
Democrat Michael O’Brien of Warren in the 64th Ohio House District has 30 years of elected-office experience as a Trumbull County commissioner and as a Warren mayor and councilman without losing an election. He’ll succeed state Rep. Tom Letson, a Democrat from Warren, who couldn’t run for re-election this year because of the state’s term-limits law.
Democrat Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown in the 58th District had never run for public office before this year. Her husband, Robert, is finishing his 28th year in the state Legislature. Lepore-Hagan is succeeding him, winning her first election last month for the open seat. Like Letson, Robert Hagan couldn’t run this year because of term limits.
Republican Tim Ginter of Salem in the 5th District unsuccessfully ran for the 6th Congressional District in 2006 and the 30th Ohio Senate District two years later. He was a late write-in candidate for the Ohio House seat when Republican Craig Newbold of Columbiana withdrew. Ginter defeated one-term incumbent Nick Barborak, a Democrat from Lisbon, last month in a race targeted by both state Republicans and Democrats.
Starting Jan. 1, Democrats will be in only 34 of the House’s 99 seats — the smallest for either party since 1967, the first year in which that legislative body went to 99 members. O’Brien and Lepore-Hagan acknowledge they face a challenge being new faces in the minority party.
“I’m not naive enough to believe that everything is going to go smoothly,” O’Brien said. “But I’m looking forward to developing relationships with legislators, Democratic and Republican, throughout the state. It’s a new challenge. I’m very excited about it. I think I can make an impact.”
O’Brien’s requested committees are: finance and appropriations, agriculture and natural resources, public utilities, state and local government, and education.
Lepore-Hagan said an orientation program for incoming legislators last month was “daunting. I felt like I was going back to high school.”
But having her husband serve for years in the Legislature has been helpful.
“It’s nice to have his experience,” she said. “Things such as where to park, where to stay and how to get around are easier for me than for others. There’s a slight learning curve, but I’ll be OK.”
As for being in the minority, Lepore-Hagan said, “I understand the realities, but I’m willing to work and compromise with Republicans. They hold all the [statewide] offices and have majorities in the Legislature. I just hope they’re willing to work with me. Republicans have stressed over and over again that they will listen to Democrats, and they will be more civilized and more respectful of everyone’s opinions.”
Lepore-Hagan has requested to be on the following committees: health and aging; commerce, labor and technology (her husband served as that committee’s ranking Democrat); and transportation, public safety and homeland security.
Because there are so few Democrats, it’s likely going to be easier for O’Brien and Lepore-Hagan to get seated on their preferred committees compared to Ginter.
“There’s a little more competition and the freshman are the ones who will have to draw [committee assignments] out of a hat, so to speak,” he said. “But I’ve done some respectful lobbying.”
Ginter asked to be on six committees: ways and means, health and aging, public utilities, agriculture and natural resources, manufacturing and workforce development, and insurance.
“It’s exciting and also somewhat intimidating to serve,” he said. “I made some new friends and not just on my side of the aisle. There’s a good rapport and the feeling of ‘let’s do something for the people of Ohio.’ The people sent us here because they want us to get things done. We’re here to do work and help the people of Ohio.”
Ginter said he plans, at first, to listen.
“There’s a tremendous learning curve,” he said. “In the beginning, I’ll learn what I need to learn to become an effective legislator.”