On January 7, Representative Larry Householder (R-Glenford, OH) narrowly edged out Speaker Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell, OH) for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 133rd Ohio General Assembly. In a 52-46 vote, Rep. Householder regains the speaker’s position which he held from 2001 to 2004.
Neither Rep. Smith nor Rep. Householder were able to win a majority of the Republican caucus votes and ended up courting Democrat caucus members for votes. The Democrat caucus split its votes but gave Rep. Householder sufficient votes to win the speaker’s position for the next two years.
The Senate’s opening session was far less dramatic as Senate President Larry Obhoff (R-Medina, OH) was unanimously re-elected to a second term as the Senate president.