Colin Flanagan, who lost his first bid to win the Democratic nomination to the Ohio House, will run for the newly drawn 41st Ohio House District.

Nancy Larson defeated Mr. Flanagan in the August, 2022 primary for the Democratic nomination. She lost the general election to Josh Williams (R. Sylvania Twp.) for the Ohio 41st House District seat.

The newly drawn district puts Mr. Williams in the 44th District, currently occupied by Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township), who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

The new 41st District, an open seat, would consist of part of South Toledo, Springfield Township, Maumee, and Holland and would have a 61-percent Democratic voting index based on past performance. 

The 23-year-old Mr. Flanagan, a South Toledo resident, is a University of Toledo law school student working for a labor law firm, and over the past several years, has picked up political experience working on various campaigns and as a statehouse staffer. 

He said he is running again because of the brazen disregard for the will of the people by Ohio lawmakers who ignore cities and citizens.

“The problems still exist,” Mr. Flanagan said. “In a lot of ways, they have gotten worse.

“It is time for some new leadership,” he said.

No other candidates — Democrat or Republican — have declared for the race, which will have a primary on March 19.

First Published November 10, 2023, 6:45 p.m.