COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jason Stephens, the Republican speaker of the Ohio House for the past two years, announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection for the speaker position.
During a press conference held at the Statehouse, Stephens, 53, highlighted the legislative achievements from the session and praised the contributions of his staff. His announcement is anticipated to spark a competitive race for the speakership ahead of a caucus vote set for Wednesday.
“This really resets the entire race, and, you know, it’s really a new speaker’s race over the next 48 hours,” he stated while addressing reporters.
Among the candidates vying for the role is Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, who recently won the House race in a landslide on November 5. However, Stephens did not disclose whether he had discussions with Huffman prior to his announcement. Other potential contenders are State Representatives Ron Ferguson and Tim Barhorst.
Stephens made headlines in January 2023 when he unexpectedly secured the speakership, commanding support from a minority of the Republican majority in the House, along with all 32 Democratic members.
This unexpected outcome led a faction that had backed another candidate to SPLIT from the main Republican caucus. They attempted to form their own group and took legal action to gain control over the campaign funds designated for House Republicans. Some of Stephens’s opponents, backed by supporters of Huffman, utilized these funds effectively to target Stephens’ supporters in the upcoming 2024 primaries.
The Ohio Republican Party ultimately backed this dissenting group by voting to censure the so-called “blue 22” Republicans who had allied with Democrats to elevate Stephens to the speakership.
Despite stepping down as speaker, Stephens has won reelection for another two-year term in the House and plans to continue serving his rural southern Ohio district while concentrating on the unfinished legislative matters of the session.