Larry Obhof

Larry Obhof
Member of the Ohio Senate
from the 22nd district
Assumed office
February 1, 2011
Preceded by Bob Gibbs
Personal details
Born (1977-11-26) November 26, 1977
Ashtabula, Ohio,[1] U.S.
Political party Republican
Residence Medina, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater The Ohio State University, Yale Law School
Occupation Lawyer
Religion Christian

Larry Obhof (born November 26, 1977)[1] is a member of the Ohio Senate, serving the 22nd district since 2011. He currently serves as the President Pro Tempore.

Life and career

Obhof was born on November 26, 1977 in Ashtabula, Ohio.[1] He received a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Obhof is an attorney with the law firm Squire Patton Boggs LLP in Columbus, Ohio.[2] Along with David B. Rivkin and others, he was part of the legal team that challenged the constitutionality of the Obama administration's healthcare bill on behalf of a small business association and 26 states.[3] Obhof is also an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he teaches a course on legislation.[4]

Obhof is married, has three children, and lives in Montville Township, Medina County, Ohio.[2]

Ohio Senate

In early 2011, Obhof was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Ohio Senate created by Bob Gibbs’ 2010 election to the United States House of Representatives.[5] Obhof was one of eleven who sought the appointment to fill out the remainder of Gibbs’ term.[5] Obhof ran for a complete term for his seat in the 2012 general election, defeating James Riley with 60% of the vote.

As a member of the Ohio Senate, Obhof has sponsored and supported a wide range of issues including education, civil, and criminal law,Oelection administration, and taxation. Among other accomplishments, Obhof sponsored Senate Bill 165, known as the “Founding Documents Bill.”[6] The bill requires the study of historically significant documents, including the primary texts of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, as part of Ohio students' history and government curricula.[6] Obhof has also passed legislation to modernize Ohio’s elections system by using improved technologies such as electronic poll-books; to update Ohio’s tax code and save taxpayers more than $10 million per year by protecting their ability to claim certain credits or deductions; and to give state law enforcement greater ability to investigate and prosecute money laundering.

Obhof was selected by his colleagues to serve as Majority Whip for both the 130th General Assembly and the 131st General Assembly. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has noted that Obhof is “instrumental in passing key bills” and that he stands out “for notching legislative victories.”[7]According to local newspapers, he has earned “a reputation as a lawmaker with a willingness to work across party lines."[8]

During his time in the Senate, Obhof has received numerous honors or awards in recognition of his legislative efforts. These include being named the “Watchdog of the Treasury” by the United Conservatives of Ohio, a “Friend of Agriculture” by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, and the “Guardian of Small Business” by the National Federation of Independent Business. In both 2011 and 2012, Obhof was named a “Defender of Liberty” by the American Conservative Union for earning a perfect score in the organization’s state legislative rankings.

In 2012, Obhof received the annual “Freedom Award” from the Ohio Christian Alliance. In 2014, he was named Legislator of the Year by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.

In June 2013, Obhof was named by GOPAC as one of the Republican Party’s top-20 “emerging leaders.”

References

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