Stephens’ departure throws a curveball into the race, which has been front-of-mind for many House Republicans for over a year.
There’s now a void for House Republicans who intended to support his reelection campaign against challenger Matt Huffman, the current Republican Senate president whose allies have confidently projected will become House speaker once his new term in the lower chamber begins in 2025. If Huffman is elected speaker, he could serve up to eight consecutive years in the role.
Stephens declined to tell reporters who he intends to support for speaker, which is one of the most powerful positions in state government. The speaker can set agendas, control who sits on committees, and use his or her discretion to control which bills get voted on and which bills sit idle.
“We’ll see what happens in the next 48 hours,” Stephens said. “I’m sure there will be a lot of people interested in running for speaker. As far as I’m concerned, this really resets the race and it’s really a new speakers race.”
The actual effect of Stephens’ decision is yet to be seen. Montgomery County Rep. Tom Young, a Washington Twp. Republican who intends to support Huffman this Wednesday, told this outlet that he doesn’t “have any concern as to where the votes are going to go whatsoever.”
“Matt Huffman has a track record of excellence; whether people disagree, that comes with the territory,” Young said. “An eight-year speaker will bring stability to the House that we have not had in over a decade. It’s important that members realize this because they are unfamiliar with what it’s like to have a normal general assembly session.”
One potential challenger for the speakership is Rep. Tim Barhorst, a first-term Republican out of Shelby County’s Fort Loramie who has drawn little attention in the 135th General Assembly.
On Monday, former Ohio congressional candidate J.R. Majewski, once endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump, promoted Barhorst’s endorsement from the anti-vaccine advocacy group Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom, which gave Barhorst an “A” rating on their causes.
“We NEED to get this guy elected and the GOPe (sic) is bullying members right now to steal this position,” Majewski posted on X, noting that “the establishment is trying to takeover.”
Barhorst did not answer a call from this news outlet on Monday.
If he were to ascend all the way to speaker, Barhorst’s rise would resemble that of Stephens, who was a shock pick to lead the House in 2023.
In early 2023, Stephens, a Republican, was elected as House speaker on the back of a surprise coalition of support from all House Democrats and a minority of House Republicans who have since been censured by the Ohio GOP.
The fractures, which effectively created three caucuses in the Ohio House instead of the standard two, can be traced through many of 135th General Assembly’s proceedings. Many lawmakers in both the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate believe the factions to be the cause of a relatively unproductive session thus far.
In his press conference Monday, Stephens touted his accomplishments as speaker, including the 135th General Assembly’s tax-cut laden operating budget, a record-setting capital budget and House Bill 68, which barred Ohio minors from going on gender-affirming hormones and blocked transgender girls from playing in girls school sports.
“In my role as speaker, working with my fellow representatives, I believe we have moved the needle in a positive direction for the state of Ohio in the last two years,” Stephens said.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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