CIRCLEVILLE, October 18, 2023 – State Representative Brian Stewart announced today that he will run for re-election to the Ohio House of Representatives for the 12th House District, with the support of numerous local leaders.
“As State Representative I’ve successfully cut taxes for Ohio families, expanded high-speed internet access to unserved homes, protected Ohioans’ gun rights, improved laws to benefit our agricultural industry, and fought for common sense, conservative values,” Stewart said. “It has been an honor to represent Pickaway, Madison, and Franklin counties and pursue those communities’ needs at the Ohio Statehouse, and I look forward to continuing that good work in my next term.”
As State Representative, Stewart has sponsored 11 bills and/or resolutions that have been passed by the Ohio House of Representatives. He sponsored HB2 which created the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Program, which helped fund the connection of 100,000 households to high-speed internet. He sponsored legislation (HB149) to add party affiliation to the Ohio Supreme Court and Ohio Court of Appeals judicial races, which in its first election since being signed into law resulted in the undervote dropping from 25% to 2% for Ohio Supreme Court races – a massive increase in voter participation. Stewart has tackled numerous good government improvements such as reforming Ohio’s probate process (HB7), clarifying law regarding county hospitals (HB405), and requiring civil court pleadings to be made publicly available on the internet (HB567) – all of which were signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine.
Rep. Stewart has also been the leader of numerous high-profile debates across the State of Ohio. He introduced HCR48 to successfully invalidate a proposed rule to allow for Ohio jury trials to be conducted over remote video technology such as Zoom, and he was the sponsor of HJR1, the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, which was put before Ohio voters as Issue 1 in August 2023. Rep. Stewart also introduced HR69 which accomplished the successful expulsion of former Speaker of the House Larry Householder as a member of the Ohio General Assembly. Stewart led the floor debate to expel Householder, who was subsequently convicted by a jury of racketeering and sentenced to 20 years in prison, completing the first successful expulsion effort since before the Civil War.
Rep. Stewart has also co-sponsored successful legislation to give the Ohio General Assembly the authority to rescind executive-branch emergency health orders such as closures and mandates (SB22), the adoption of “Constitutional Carry” legislation to safeguard Ohioans’ firearm rights (SB215), and the SAFE Act (HB68) to bar biological males from competing in female sports and to prevent minors from undergoing permanent sex-change operations. Rep. Stewart also co-sponsored 2 state budgets which resulted in income tax cuts for Ohioans, an indexing of the homestead exemption to inflation to give Ohioans property tax relief, and the elimination of the Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) for the overwhelming majority of Ohio businesses.
“I ran for State Representative promising that I would cut taxes, reduce burdensome government, and pursue conservative policies, and I am proud to have kept my word,” Stewart added. “Throughout my time in public service, I’ve always taken on the big issues and the tough fights, and I’ll keep doing so to make Ohio the best it can be.”
Rep. Brian Stewart is a former Pickaway County Commissioner and an Iraq War veteran. He served three years on active duty in the U.S. Army as an infantryman, including a year-long deployment conducting combat patrols in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad in 2005. For his actions, Stewart was twice awarded the Army Commendation Medal, and also earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Returning to college on the G.I. Bill, Stewart earned both his bachelor’s and law degrees from The Ohio State University. He is also a small business owner, maintaining The Law Office of Brian Stewart, LLC in Circleville, where he represents individuals and small businesses throughout Ohio.
In his free time, Rep. Stewart is a dedicated movie buff, a passionate Bengals fan, and an aspiring cook. He also enjoys target shooting, books on American history, and the music of Johnny Cash. He lives in Ashville and attends Village Chapel Church with his wife, Letanya, a Certified Nurse Practitioner, and their three children, Salem (14), Sidney (12), and Lincoln (7).
Numerous elected and party leaders in the 12th House District have already endorsed Rep. Stewart for re-election on day one, including:
Franklin County
Republican Party Chairwoman Meredith Freedhoff
Republican Party Vice-Chair Andrew Havas
Pickaway County
Commissioner Jay Wippel
Commissioner Harold “Champ” Henson
Commissioner Gary Scherer
County Engineer Chris Mullins
County Auditor Brad Washburn
County Clerk of Courts Grant Davis
Mayor of Circleville Don McIlroy
Circleville City Councilwoman Michelle Blanton
Republican Party Chairman Mike Whitten
Republican Party Vice Chair Sandy Darby
Republican Party Treasurer Ronde Brushart
Madison County
Commissioner Chris Wallace
Commissioner Mark Forrest
Commissioner Tony Xenikis
County Engineer Bryan Dhume
“The leaders across Ohio’s 12th District know that I am fighting hard – and getting results – for our communities, and I am grateful to have their support as I work to again earn the vote of residents in 2024,” Stewart said.
