Frank Hall challenging state Rep. Grendell in primary

Incumbent 76th District State Rep. Diane V. Grendell, R-Chester Township, will face off against Munson Township resident Frank Hall in the Republican Primary election March 17.

The winner will face Chester Township Democrat Garrett Westhoven in the November general election. Westhoven is uncontested in his party’s primary.

The winner in November will serve a two-year term in the state house.

The 76th District is comprised of 15 communities in northwest, southwest and southeast Geauga County and 11 communities in northern Portage County.

There are 51,440 registered Geauga County voters in the district, according to Geauga County Elections Board records.

The News-Herald sent election questionnaires to the candidates. Here are some of the answers they provided:

Diane Grendell

Grendell, 75, returned to the Ohio House of Representatives last year when she was appointed to replace Sarah LaTourette who left the State House for a position in Governor Mike DeWine’s administration.

Grendell previously served in the State House from 1993 and 2000. In the interim she spent 18 years as an 11th District Court of Appeals judge.

If voters elect to retain Grendell, she said one of her focuses is “defending freedoms,” which she described as continuing to protect innocent life and to defend the Second Amendment.

Another goal is “meaningful tax relief.” She said she voted to cut taxes by more than $300 million for Ohio families every year and will continue to look for ways to relieve the tax burden for residents in her district.

She also wants to work toward health care transparency.

“As a nurse, I cared for everyday Ohioans at their most vulnerable, and I know firsthand the rising cost of health care,” Grendell said. “I voted to require health care providers to show cost estimates to patients, and I stand with patients against surprise billing.”

Grendell said she has a “proven track record of fighting for the people in my districts while in Columbus, and protecting the constitutional freedoms I swore to uphold as an appellate court judge.”

“I have been blessed with the unique combination of experiences as both state legislator and as appellate court judge, which has allowed me to develop an understanding of not only the substance of written law, but also the legislative process,” she said.

Frank Hall

Hall, 46, is a tutor and football coach at Chardon Schools.

He made national headlines in 2012 when he chased away the teenager who fatally shot three students at Chardon High School.

If elected, Hall said one of his focuses would be on the drug epidemic.

Another focus is schools and school safety, he said.

A third is returning tax dollars to local communities.

“My wife and I have nine adopted children; the experience of helping them through life (h)as helped prepare me for the state legislature,” he said. “Since the tragedy at Chardon high school in 2012 we have formed the Coach Hall foundation and have traveled from Connecticut to California and everywhere in between advocating for our schools, our children, mental health and recovery. I believe in small government and the most important governing is done at the lower levels are townships are villages.”