Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Support Split On Who Succeeds Householder As Speaker

By a unanimous vote, Larry Householder was removed as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives this morning, following his arrest last week on a federal racketeering charge related to the nuclear bailout law he pushed last year.  But it’s unclear who will succeed him.

Bob Cupp (R-Lima)  is one of the two Republicans in the race to replace Householder as speaker.

“I think there’s no doubt that people feel betrayed, used, and it’s been a stain and blot on the House," Cupp said.

Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) stepped down as minority leader after he voted against Householder as speaker last year. He’s happy with today’s vote.

“It was the right thing to do a year and a half ago," Strahorn said.

Strahorn is backing Cupp, but not everyone is.

Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), who also didn’t support Householder for speaker, says he’s voting for speaker pro tem Jim Butler (R-Oakwood), who is term limited and couldn’t be speaker when the new session starts in January.

“He has no axe to grind, he has no incentive to put his thumb on the scale in support of any other person who might run for speaker next year," Seitz said.

Seitz said a floor vote for a new speaker won’t happen until the GOP caucus has 50 votes for one candidate.

About an hour before Householder was removed as speaker, he was formally indicted on that federal racketeering charge.

Contact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.
Related Content