Get ready for some raucous Republican congressional primaries in Ohio

A handful of Ohio congressional primaries have drawn a parade of colorful Republican hopefuls. In two cases, the retirement of long-serving incumbents in relatively safe seats set off the nomination scramble. In another, Republican candidates are trying again to knock off a supposedly vulnerable Democrat who cruised to reelection in 2022.

The races in Ohio’s 2nd, 6th, and 9th U.S. Congressional districts aren’t the only races to draw a crowd. For instance, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH, has drawn four Democratic candidates including former Marion Mayor Scott Schertzer. But they’re notable for the type of candidates and potential for overheated rhetoric.

OH-2: Southcentral Ohio

In 2022, former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s retirement kicked off a caustic GOP primary to succeed him. In 2024, U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s retirement has created a similar frenzy. In all, a dozen Republican candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the 16-county district stretching from the Cincinnati suburbs to the West Virginia state line.

Most notable are a pair of state Senators, Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg, and Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro. Antani, in particular, because he doesn’t live in the district.

After the latest round of redistricting, Antani’s Montgomery County district became far more Democratic. He decided to run for Congress instead, promising to be a “tireless warrior” for Ohio’s 2nd district.

In an interview with the Butler County Journal-News, Antani downplayed his residence, insisting he’d move to the district if he won. Unlike state legislative offices, there’s no district residency requirement in Congress.

The Journal-News also spoke to Montgomery County GOP chairman, and state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, who described Antani as “missing in action.”

Antani’s campaign has yet to file its campaign finance reports but bragged on social media about raising more than $612,000 since joining the race.

Wilkin, meanwhile, represents a Senate district that covers a substantial chunk of the congressional district’s territory. In his announcement, Wilkin described himself as a “true Southern Ohio native,” and touted his high ratings from gun rights and conservative organizations.

A former state representative, Ron Hood, has also declared his candidacy. Hood represented a southern Ohio district but was term limited in 2020. Since then he’s run unsuccessfully for a Republican congressional nomination and for governor. Phil Heimlich, who previously served on Cincinnati City Council and the Hamilton County Commission is running, too. Like Antani, the man whose father invented the namesake maneuver doesn’t live in the district.

The 2nd district has attracted several candidates with no legislative experience as well. Larry Kidd is the former vice chair of the Jackson County Republican Party. While he hasn’t held public office, he touts three decades of “helping elect conservatives.” Kim Georgeton most recently ran for a GOP state House nomination. She lost to a county commissioner.

Tim O’Hara, a former marine staff sergeant, argues Ohio should “send a drill instructor to Congress.”

“Washington is out of shape, out of touch, and out of time,” he argued in his campaign announcement. “I’ve spent a lifetime whipping organizations and people into shape.”

O’Hara contributed $750,000 of his own money to start his campaign, and bragged he’s found success “without winning the lottery, inheriting anything, suing anyone or even graduating from college.” Since leaving the service, he’s built a career through opening a series of franchises, including Dunkin Donuts and LaRosa’s Pizzeria.

Derek Myers has filed his candidacy as well. Most recently he was editor-in-chief of the Scioto Valley Guardian, but he stepped away that post earlier this year to work briefly on a volunteer basis for then-U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-NY.

In a strange episode, Myers secretly recorded and leaked a conversation he had with Santos and the congressman’s chief of staff. After about a week of work, they were parting ways with Myers, pointing to earlier charges against Myers of “wiretapping.” The case had to do with the Guardian receiving and publishing surreptitiously recorded court testimony. Press freedom organizations including the Society of Professional Journalists pushed back strongly when authorities arrested Myers and seized his equipment.

Myers apparently pleaded for another chance working with Santos, but the office turned him down. Later that week, Myers filed a police report alleging Santos sexually harassed him, as well as a complaint against the congressman with the Ethics committee.

In the rush to out-conservative one another, nearly all the candidates have taken to social media howling about Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of the anti-trans measure HB 68. Wilkin argued “God decides our gender,” and promised to vote for a veto override. Antani insisted lawmakers should override the governor that night. Myers meanwhile, unleashed a tirade about “pedos in disguise,” and without evidence, attempted to blame the trans community for school shootings.

OH-6: Appalachia and the Mahoning Valley

Former U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s early departure to lead Youngstown State University has opened the door to two state lawmakers seeking a promotion. But the timing of his exit has also scrambled the timeline somewhat.

In addition to running for the upcoming term, with a primary in March and a general election in November, last week Gov. DeWine announced a special election for Johnson’s unexpired term. The primary for both will happen March 19th, but the general election for the unexpired term will be held June 11.

Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, and Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, R-Paris Township, are the two most recognizable candidates in the field. An East Palestine chiropractor named Rick Tsai has filed to run, motivated in large part by his frustration with the government’s response to the Norfolk Southern train derailment there last February. A man named Kurt Hilderbrand has opened a campaign account with the Federal Elections Commission but has no campaign website or other online presence.

Rulli’s family opened a well-known grocery store more than a century ago. On social media, he embraces standard Republican talking points — railing about illegal immigration, the economy and protecting the Second Amendment from “ gun grabbers.” Like candidates in the OH-2, he called for an “immediate override” of DeWine’s HB 68 veto.

Rulli regularly suggests “Western Civilization” is under attack, and the U.S. must act as a bulwark. “The West is our only hope,” he wrote in response to a post depicting alleged anti-Christian violence in Nigeria. Reuters reports the violence is less about religious persecution and more an example of clashes over land and grazing between nomadic herders pushed south by climate change and settled farmers in the country.

Rulli’s embrace of “the West” extends to right-wing parties in the U.K., the Netherlands and Spain. He’s apparently fascinated with the British, posting videos from The Royal Artillery, and others saying “Rule Britannia” and “Rally around the Union Jack.”

Stoltzfus’ meanwhile touts his role as “the original author” of anti-trans high school sports legislation. “I have fought to get this to the Governor’s desk for five years. (Ohio House) Speaker (Jason) Stephens — call us to Columbus immediately for a veto override!” he insisted.

Stoltzfus also gained attention in 2021 for backing a measure to declare June 14 “Donald J. Trump Day” in Ohio. The date is the former president’s birthday, but it already carries a different designation — Flag Day honors the adoption of the American flag in 1777.

Rulli is no liberal, but hard right organizations want to paint him that way. The anti-abortion group Ohio Value Voters has thrown its support behind Stoltzfus invoking his support of the so-called “heartbeat bill” and his plans to join the Freedom Caucus.

Another group, the We the People Convention, attempts to turn Rulli’s electoral success against him. Because Rulli handily won a formerly left-leaning seat, the group argued, “doesn’t that prove the Rulli had “mostly” Democrat support even though he pretends to be a Republican? Doesn’t that prove that Rulli votes like a Democrat???”

The organization goes on to criticize Rulli for co-sponsoring the Ohio Fairness Act in 2021. The measure would have prohibited discrimination in Ohio on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The groups point to grades from the Institute for Legislative Analysis, which put Stoltzfus down as the most conservative member in either chamber of the General Assembly.

OH-9: The Northwest corner and Lake Erie coastline

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-OH has represented this Toldeo-area district since 1983. That tenure makes her the longest-serving woman in Congressional history. But the most recent redistricting changes have drawn her into a toss-up seat, and the Republican Party has been eyeing her district as a high priority target.

The biggest problem has been the Republicans running against her.

In 2022, state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, and Rep. Craig Riedel, R-Defiance, both ran for the nomination. They wound up splitting the vote, clearing the path for J.R. Majewski, an Air Force veteran who took part in the January 6 riot and painted pro-Trump slogans on his yard. Majewski won the nomination with 35% of the vote, but his campaign faltered after the Associated Press reported he exaggerated the nature of his service overseas.

Initially, Majewski said he would not run again in 2024, but changed his tune a few months later. Riedel is running again too. Majewksi has the backing of several MAGA figures on the national stage including U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, and U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-FL, and Byron Donalds, R-FL. Riedel on the other hand has seen some a few high-profile endorsements rescinded in recent weeks.

The conservative activist Charlie Kirk obtained a recorded phone call between Riedel and a prospective donor in which Riedel distanced himself from the former president. Riedel said he was not seeking Trump’s endorsement and expressed distaste for Trump’s “arrogance” and name calling.

Gaetz gleefully called Riedel a “ RINO Never Trumper” and U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-OH rescinded his endorsement of Riedel. GOP U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno quickly followed suit. Last week, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, did so as well.

In the immediate aftermath of the leak, Riedel issued a statement endorsing Trump for president. He went on to blame the incident on “Matt Gaetz and a social media trickster.” Riedel still has the backing of several prominent conservatives including U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-OH, Steve Scalise, R-LA and Tom Emmer, R-MN. But the episode left his campaign damaged, and national Republicans scrambled to find a new option.

Where they landed was almost-Ohio House Speaker Derek Merrin, R-Monclova. Merrin beat out two rivals in a Republican caucus vote for speakership in 2022. But his promised backing of a constitutional amendment to impose a supermajority for all future amendments was so controversial it wound up costing him the gavel. One of those rivals, Rep. Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, peeled off several fellow Republicans and with the combined support of Democrats won the necessary majority.

The fight that followed effectively halted House business for months. When lawmakers finally got to work, the effort to get the supermajority amendment on the ballot swamped many other priorities.

In the end, though, Merrin and his allies got their question before voters. They got trounced.

Merrin is term-limited, so he was always going to be looking for a new gig. And although he’s starting later than his opponents, he’s jumping in with the encouragement of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, and by extension, the deep pocketed campaign apparatus the speaker controls.

His campaign’s first act was to endorse Trump for President, but Riedel was quick to remind him of some other recent endorsements as well. Sharing Merrin’s previous endorsement of his own campaign, Riedel taunted, “you had it right the first time: Our campaign is the best chance to defeat Marcy Kaptur and send a real conservative to Congress.”

Riedel also leveled a disingenuous attack, arguing Merrin voted against a bill to ban trans athletes in high school sports. In fact, Merrin voted for that measure when it initially passed the House. At the very end of the legislative session, however, state Senators amended the measure to include a separate bill overhauling the state education department. Several conservative House members, including Merrin, rejected the idea.

In a press release announcing his campaign Merrin insisted, “I’ve never been afraid to face down slings and arrows from the left or challenge my own party. I cannot sit back and hand away this seat to Marcy Kaptur, jeopardizing the future of our country.”

Still, with Merrin and Riedel facing off against a MAGA acolyte in Majewski, Republican voters will face a decision remarkably similar to the one they had in 2022.

Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter.

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