Incumbent state rep challenged by pastor for GOP nomination
Ohio Rep. Sara Carruthers is seeking election to a fourth term representing her Statehouse district, which includes her hometown of Hamilton.
But Diane Mullins, a co-pastor at the Calvary Church, wants to replace her in Columbus.
They are seeking the GOP nomination in Tuesday’s primary election for the 47th Ohio House District seat, which represents western and northern Butler County, including the cities of Hamilton and Oxford.
Carruthers, who’s championed bills addressing domestic violence, animal abuse, child health care and veterans’ issues, said she has “unfinished business,” including getting her bill known as Aisha’s Law, which has passed the House twice but the Senate has failed to act.
There are other things she wants to address in Columbus, including elderly care issues, as well as the disabled.
“There’s just a lot to do,” she said, including more with veterans. She also said she’s working on a bill with the Ohio Jewish Communities on a bill against hate crimes.
Mullins, who did not reply to multiple attempts seeking comment, unsuccessfully ran for the Statehouse four years ago before Ohio redistricted its 99 House seats following the decennial census.
Her campaign’s Facebook page doesn’t point to her position on specific issues, outside of indicating she’s pro-Second Amendment and is critical of Carruthers’ support of Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens. Twenty-two House Republicans in 2023 supported Stephens instead of Rep. Derek Merrin, as did all 32 Democrats. He has referred to Carruthers as a “RINO” (Republican in name only).
In a 2020 Journal-News story, Mullins said she was steadfast in protecting life and Second Amendment rights. She also acknowledged four years ago the importance of working with the minority party to advance Ohio.
“My goal is to work together to find positive solutions to issues, without compromising my conservative core beliefs,” she had said four years ago.
However, Mullins has made comments while preaching at her church that some would view as controversial. At a student-led service at her church, she said a woman would regrow part of her arm. In that same event, she also said, while proclaiming “God made male and female” when talking about gender identity, that she would “not allow the enemy to take the minds of these youth and corrupt them and cause them pain and heartache.”
Additionally, in another sermon, she said, “We are the last generation and we will see the coming of Jesus Christ.”
Mullins is the endorsed candidate for the Butler County Republican Party, though Carruthers declined to seek the party’s endorsement, as did two other county officeholders.
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, and anyone with an absentee ballot can either mail them back by Monday (make sure the post office postmarks it), or hand-deliver those vote-by-mail ballots to the Butler County Board of Elections, 1802 Princeton Road, by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.