When is a holiday party about more than just tinsel and eggnog?
It depends on who’s invited.
A powerful Republican legislator attended the Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades annual gathering on Friday in Toledo to do more than celebrate the season — he was shoring up support in a key labor stronghold as he vies to become speaker of the Ohio House.
Rep. Larry Householder (R., Glenford) stopped by the building trades’ Front Street headquarters to meet with local labor leaders and northwest Ohio legislators just hours after a lame duck session in Columbus that lasted through the early morning. Some legislators said they were running on fumes after the late-night session.
When asked if he hopes the trip to Toledo after a long night will yield him additional support, Mr. Householder said: “I hope so. It’s always good to be in Toledo to support working men and women.”
Mr. Householder is locked in a battle against the current House speaker, Rep. Ryan Smith (R., Bidwell), for control of the speaker’s gavel in the next two-year legislative session beginning next month. Neither Mr. Householder nor Mr. Smith appear to have enough Republican votes to win a majority of the 99-member House — although Mr. Smith may hold a slight lead — so Mr. Householder is on a mission to win over votes beyond those that belong to his own party. His presence in Democratic Toledo on Friday was to signal he would work with labor interests and across the political aisle in order to seal the deal.
As reported by Cleveland.com, officials with at least three labor unions have been calling House Democrats expressing support for Mr. Householder because he would not back anti-union legislation such as “right-to-work” laws.
The speaker wields tremendous power over bills that come before the Republican-controlled House.
Michael Sheehy (D., Oregon) said he was contacted by an official from the Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO. Mr. Sheehy didn’t say how he would vote for speaker, only that Mr. Householder is a good candidate and one of the few House Republicans who has ever personally reached out to him.
“He’s a known commodity. You’ve seen how he’s governed in the past,” Mr. Sheehy said.
Mr. Householder was speaker from 2001 to 2004. He left the House amid an FBI investigation into allegations of pay-to-play, for which he was never charged, to become auditor in rural Perry County. He returned to the House in 2017.
The southwest Ohio representative appeared at the building trades gathering alongside Matt Szollosi, executive director of the Associated Construction Trades of Ohio, which advocates for prevailing wage, project labor agreements, and other issues impacting skilled construction workers.
“It’s great to be back in Toledo and hopefully a resolution is reached soon [for House speaker],” said Mr. Szollosi, who at one point represented Toledo as the No. 2 Democrat in the House. He stepped downed in 2013 to join Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio.
Lisa Sobecki, a Democratic representative-elect from Toledo, also didn’t rule out a vote for Mr. Householder but said she was uncommitted.
“There’s still a long way to go and conversations to be had,” she said.
The Democratic caucus could also choose to back Minority Leader Rep. Fred Strahorn (D., Dayton), though Lucas County legislators did not bring up that option.
The northwest Ohio Republican caucus is divided between Mr. Householder and Mr. Smith. Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township) said he would support Mr. Householder while Rep. Theresa Gavarone (R., Bowling Green) will support Mr. Smith, saying they’ve worked well together in the past.
Mr. Smith succeeded Cliff Rosenberger after the former House speaker resigned in May amid an ongoing FBI investigation into his travels with payday-lending industry lobbyists.
Rep. Steve Ardnt (R., Port Clinton) is also in the Smith camp, but said at the end of the day both men, as well as the incoming administration of Republican Gov.-elect Mike DeWine, will be supportive of the building trades.
“What I’ve been telling a lot of the folks is it really doesn’t make any difference whether it’s Smith or Householder,” he said. “I’m fine with either one.”
The vote for House speaker will take place on Jan. 7, the opening day of the new General Assembly.
Contact Liz Skalka at lskalka@theblade.com, 419-724-6199, or on Twitter @lizskalka.
First Published December 15, 2018, 1:15 p.m.
