COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Jason Stephens, who has presided over one of the most tumultuous periods in recent history of the Ohio House over the past two years, said Monday he will not seek another term as speaker.
Stephens, 53, announced his decision at a Statehouse news conference, where he touted the session’s policy achievements and complimented the work of his staff. He said he expects his withdrawal from the election to set off a strong speaker’s fight ahead of the caucus vote scheduled for Wednesday.
“As far as I’m concerned, this really resets the whole race, and you know, it’s really a new speaker’s race for the next 48 hours,” he told reporters.
Among those seeking the seat will be Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, who won an unopposed House race on Nov. 5. Stephens declined to say whether he had met with Huffman before Monday’s announcement. State Reps. Ron Ferguson and Tim Barhorst are also reportedly considered contenders.
In January 2023, Stephens surprised the Republican supermajority chamber by winning the chairmanship with the support of a minority of the Republican caucus – but all 32 House Democrats.
A faction that supported another candidate for chairman and said they represented a majority of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives broke ranks, tried to form their own caucus and sued for control of the House Republican campaign fund. Rivals, some aligned with Huffman, used the fund to attack Stephens’ allies during the 2024 primaries, with some success.
The Republican Party of Ohio effectively backed the rebel faction when its central committee voted to censure the so-called “blue 22” House Republicans, who had joined Democrats in elevating Stephens to speakership.
Stephens, who was re-elected this month to another two-year term in the House of Representatives, said he will continue to represent his rural district in southern Ohio and will remain “solely focused” on the unfinished business. matters of this session.
