Franklin County’s last GOP state representative drops bid for seat

State Rep. Laura Lanese, Franklin County’s only incumbent Republican House member, is no longer running for reelection.

“It’s with very mixed feelings that I am announcing that I will not be running for re-election to the Statehouse this year,” Lanese wrote in a Facebook post. “I will miss many aspects of the job, especially the friends I have met along the way.”

Lanese, who lives in Grove City, holds the last Republican House district out of the 10 that currently make up Franklin County. First elected in 2016, Lanese didn’t face term limits and could have run again. She did, however, attract a GOP primary challenge.

Democrats flipped two Franklin County seats in 2018, but they were unable to win District 23 in 2020 despite the legal scandal surrounding former House Speaker Larry Householder.

Republicans have held her seat for years, but new boundary lines for 2022 appear to increase the number of registered Democrats in what was already a competitive seat.

Lanese didn’t mention the redistricting process or its potential impacts in the Facebook post announcing her early retirement. Nor did she mention her primary opponent, former Columbus school board president David Dobos.

Speaker Bob Cupp, R-lima, praised Lanese for her time in the House, saying in a statement: “Laura Lanese has been a respected voice for her constituents for many years. I respect her decision not to seek re-election. I know she will continue doing good work over the remaining months of her term in the Ohio House.”

As for who might replace her, Dobos will likely face Democrat Russell Harris, a consultant for the Ohio Education Association. No other candidates filed for the seat.

Clark County; MCGHEE III, William Clark County; STONEROCK, Roger Clark County; TRUSS, Inez