Voters in Ohio's 15th Congressional District can expect a contentious special election this fall as Republicans aim to keep hold of a seat they’ve controlled for the past decade.
Candidates had until 4 p.m. Monday to file paperwork for the race to replace former Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, who started a new job this week as president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Stivers had represented the district, which spans from Upper Arlington to Athens to McConnelsville, since 2011.
The primary is set for Aug. 3, and the general election will be held Nov. 2.
The Republican side of the coin will be crowded, with 12 candidates hoping to secure the nomination. They are:
John Adams, owner of Green Valley Chemicals
Mike Carey, vice president of government affairs at American Consolidated Natural Resources
Eric M. Clark, LPN at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Thad Cooperrider, former Perry County Commissioner
Ruth Edmonds, former church relations director at the Center for Christian Virtue
Ron Hood, former state representative for the 78th District
Thomas Hwang, owner of The Virtues Golf Club
State Sen. Stephanie Kunze of Hilliard
State Rep. Jeff LaRe of Violet Township
State Sen. Bob Peterson of Washington Courthouse
State Rep. Brian Stewart of Ashville
Omar Tarazi, attorney and Hilliard City Council member
Meanwhile, two Democrats will compete in the August primary:
Greg Betts
State Rep. Allison Russo of Upper Arlington
Fairfield County commissioner Jeff Fix, a Republican, and Democratic Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano mulled a run for the seat, but neither filed paperwork in time for Monday's deadline.
The GOP may have an edge heading into the race. The district leans Republican by 7 points in the Cook Partisan Voting Index, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics labeled it "likely Republican" and “probably closer to being Safe Republican than it is to being Leans Republican.”
Stivers said he’ll endorse a successor — unlike former 11th District Rep. Marcia Fudge — which could provide a much-needed boost for the chosen candidate in a crowded GOP field. Carey received an endorsement Monday from Corey Lewandowski, who ran former President Donald Trump's campaign in 2016.
But any advantage Republicans have is based on current district lines, which will change during the redistricting process with 2020 U.S. Census numbers. Ohio is poised to lose one seat in Congress because of population changes.
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