COLUMBUS — The Ohio House of Representatives was not in session, but Huron attorney D.J. Swearingen on Thursday raised his right hand to take the oath of office as the chamber’s newest representative for Ottawa and Erie counties.
Accompanied by his wife and three daughters, the youngest just 6 months old, Mr. Swearingen was sworn in by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith French to replace retired state Rep. Steve Arndt (R., Port Clinton) in the 89th District.
Although the chamber is in summer recess, Mr. Swearingen, 32, said it is critical that the two Lake Erie counties are represented in Columbus over the next few months.
“I’m going to go around the district and meet the citizens, to hear their ideas,” he told The Blade. “I have office hours planned for coming months.”
Mr. Swearingen was selected by House Republicans in June, and he addressed the full House at that time. But he was not officially sworn in until Thursday because Mr. Arndt’s resignation did not take effect until the day before.
A corporate and real estate lawyer, Mr. Swearingen resigned as a member of the Erie County Board of Elections effective Wednesday and will officially step down Monday as chairman of the county Republican Party.
Despite being active in politics, this represents his first time in elected office. He is expected to seek election to the seat next year in a district that, until 2014, had been held for decades by Democrats.
Steve Kraus, a Sandusky real estate agent and auctioneer, upset state Rep. Chris Redfern (D., Catawba Island), who was also the sitting chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party at the time. Kraus, however, was forced out by his fellow House Republicans after just seven months in office when he was convicted of felony theft in a case related to his business.
He was succeeded in 2015 by Mr. Arndt, who went on to win elections in his own right in 2016 and 2018.
“It was a huge upset, one of the biggest I’ve seen in Ohio politics,” Mr. Swearingen said. “Steve Kraus worked very hard on his campaign. It showed in 2014 that the people put their faith in the Republican Party to move forward and provide adequate leadership.”
Mr. Swearingen said he has no specific bills in mind, but hopes to pick up where Mr. Arndt left off in addressing the problems faced by Lake Erie.
“It’s one of our most important assets, something that separates us from other counties,” he said. “It’s critical for tourism and vital to our region. I hope to pick up where he left office so that Lake Erie meets the needs of our state and the tourists who come from around the nation.”
First Published August 1, 2019, 7:38 p.m.
