COLUMBUS, Ohio — After two years of bitter Republican infighting, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens has decided not to seek reelection to one of the highest posts in the state.
In a sudden press conference Monday afternoon, Stephens explained that he is taking himself out of the race for speaker.
The internal GOP speakership vote is set to take place on Wednesday.
"While I will attend, I will not have my name placed in nomination as a candidate for speaker during the Wednesday caucus," Stephens said. "I am honored and look forward to continuing to serve the great constituents of the beautiful 93rd District of Ohio as state representative; I will keep working hard to stand for a strong economy that cares for both the young and the old, that supports our schools and our children's education, and ensures we have a government that has run responsibly, efficiently and with accountability."
He started the press conference by talking about the accomplishments he and the House accomplished, including a historic budget, transportation for workers, tax cuts and record funding for public education.
"There are so many opportunities in the future to serve the people of Ohio when these are your core values, and I look forward to what the future may hold," the speaker said.
What this means
This Wednesday, the House GOP caucus will be choosing their next speaker. One confirmed candidate is current Senate President Matt Huffman, who is moving over to the House due to term limits. There will likely be another competitor, one that Stephens supports, who will be either a proxy or a way not to have Huffman's eight-year speakership.
Who will Stephens vote for?
"We'll see what happens in the next 48 hours," he said. "I'm sure there will be a lot of people who are interested in running for speaker. As far as I'm concerned, this really resets the entire race — it's really a new speakers race."
The race between Stephens and Huffman was considered one of the most interesting political battles in Ohio, as the result would have determined the state's conservative ideology.
RELATED: The most interesting ideological political battle in Ohio is between ... 2 Republicans
Other than Huffman, several other names have been floated.
The most suggested named is state Rep. Tim Barhorst (R-Fort Loramie). State Rep. Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) has been interested in the position for a while. State Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) said he has been asked by colleagues and "isn't ruling it out."
We have reached out to all those possible candidates and more to hear their perspectives.
As for the Democrats?
"I want to thank Speaker Stephens for his service during this General Assembly," House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. "While we didn’t always see eye to eye, he was a trustworthy, respectful colleague. I look forward to working with him and the Majority Caucus in the next General Assembly finding bipartisan solutions to improve people’s lives."
What happened to prompt this?
This drama stems from January 2023 and how Stephens came to power. The Republican caucus had previously chosen state Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova) as speaker months before the full House floor vote.
Twenty-two Republicans (known "affectionately" by the other faction as the "Blue 22") and 32 Democrats voted for Stephens for speaker during the actual vote, while the majority of Republicans voted for Merrin. Stephens, still a conservative, is significantly more moderate than Merrin — he is also more moderate than Huffman.
CLICK HERE to read more in-depth about the Republican infighting.
This led to the "Blue 22" being censured by the Ohio Republican Party and competitive, aggressive primary elections.
RELATED: Analysis: How GOP infighting is causing messy primaries, but the speaker could keep the gavel
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